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TWA - Stories (Passenger) - Survivors/Families [1]
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�MONTOURSVILLE STORIES
THE TOWN:
Montoursville - population 5,000, on banks of Susquehanna River
THE SCHOOL:
800 students total in the high school;
last winter, a grade schooler was hit by a bus and killed
already this year a student had committed suicide
another, Ryan Quinn died in a car accident this year that left another student in a coma
also this year, winter floods had ruined the home of many families whose children attend the
school
16 students from the Montoursville High School French club
1. Wendy Wolfson, a junior who was an aspiring pianist
2. Amanda Karschner, 17, who had never been on an airplane -- was set to become captain
of the girl's varsity basketball team - also excelled in track and field, and made it to the
state champs last year in the high jump - and had worked at 2 jobs to help raise some of
the $1,500 cost of the trip
3. Monica Cox - going to France was her life's dream
4. Ranee Hettler, track star
5 a d u l t chaperones:
1. Debra Dickey - a French teacher in Montoursville
2. Douglas Dickey - her husband - the two of them leave behind 2 little girls
3. the school secretary — who went on her first class trip after 35 years of working in the
office
4. the mother of one student
5. a friend of the secretary's
�Page 5
LEVEL 1 - 132 OF 248 STORIES
C o p y r i g h t 1996 D a i l y News, L.P.
D a i l y News (New York)
J u l y 21, 1996,
Sunday
SECTION: News; Pg. 6
LENGTH: 74 5 words
HEADLINE: 'SHE COULD DO ANYTHING'
MOTHER REMEMBERS A BEAUTIFUL, AMBITIOUS DAUGHTER
BYLINE: BY JIM DWYER
BODY:
COGAN STATION, Pa. I n t h e p a r k i n g l o t Wednesday a f t e r n o o n , Michele Barlow
waved goodbye t o t h e Susquehanna T r a i l s bus, t h e n walked back t o her car
suddenly f e e l i n g a season o l d e r .
Her daughter L a r i s s a Uzupis had hugged her and t h e n h u r t l e d up t h e s t a i r s o f
t h e bus f o r t h e r i d e t o Kennedy A i r p o r t and TWA F l i g h t 800. L a r i s s a had done her
h a i r i n a French b r a i d f o r P a r i s . I t was n o t so much t h e b r a i d b u t t h e h a i r
p u l l e d away from t h e b e a u t i f u l face t h a t stayed w i t h her mother.
"She
l o o k e d so grown up," Michele
t o l d her husband, B i l l
Barlow.
L a r i s s a would have been 16 t h i s Wednesday, a week a f t e r the b r a i d f l e w i n a
whip across her t u r n i n g head, behind her p a r t i n g s m i l e . She would c e l e b r a t e 16
i n a p l a c e 4,000 m i l e s away from her home on a b e a u t i f u l r o l l i n g h i l l s i d e j u s t
o u t s i d e M o n t o u r s v i l l e , Pa.
And
t h a t s u i t e d her
fine.
"Look a t t h a t c o n c r e t e , " she t o l d her mom when t h e y v i s i t e d b i g c i t i e s .
"Isn't i t beautiful?"
"She l o v e d c i t i e s and was bored w i t h t h e c o u n t r y , " s a i d Michele.
fame and e x c i t e m e n t . "
"She wanted
"She used t o say she would be t h e f i r s t woman P r e s i d e n t , " s a i d her
Tamea, 13.
sister,
From t h e b e g i n n i n g , L a r i s s a ' s ear was tuned l i k e a s h e l l t o l i f e , a l e r t t o
t h e c r a s h i n g and bouncing o f every shimmering wave.
"When she was 11/2, she g o t s t u c k c l i m b i n g i n a c h a i r , and she s a i d , 'Dammit,
dammit,' " her mother s a i d , l a u g h i n g . "She knew j u s t when t o use i t . "
"She j u s t f i n i s h e d 10th grade, but she a l r e a d y had a f i l e s e t up f o r
c o l l e g e s , " s a i d her aunt, Karen Jez. "She wanted t o f i n d the b e s t p l a c e f o r
math. They say g i r l s don't go i n t o math, but L a r i s s a more o r l e s s f e l t she c o u l d
do a n y t h i n g . "
�Page 6
Daily News (New York) July 21, 1996, Sunday
L a r i s s a r a n t r a c k . She was a c h e e r l e a d e r . An honors s t u d e n t who knew how t o
swear b e f o r e she was t o i l e t t r a i n e d . And a member o f t h e Spanish Club who
d e c i d e d a t r i p t o France t h i s summer w i t h her p a l s from t h e French Club was
w o r t h w o r k i n g f o r , even i f she c o u l d n ' t speak t h e language.
"She l i k e d t o do t h i n g s i n a b i g way," s a i d M i c h e l e . "She was v e r y
strong-willed."
The Uzupis k i d s Stephen, L a r i s s a and Tamea were born i n P i t t s b u r g h b u t moved
t o Humble, Tex., w i t h t h e i r dad's j o b . But t h e i r p a r e n t s , M i c h e l e and Steve
Uzupis, had grown up i n t h e A l l e g h e n y f o o t h i l l s o f c e n t r a l Pennsylvania, near
the Susquehanna R i v e r .
"They always wanted t o move back here and r a i s e t h e k i d s , " s a i d Karen.
A few years ago, Steve became a v i c e p r e s i d e n t w i t h t h e B r o d a r t Co. i n
W i l l i a m s p o r t , t h e b i g town i n t h e v a l l e y . The Uzupis f a m i l y moved back t o
Pennsylvania and i n t o a b e a u t i f u l home, complete w i t h a h o t t u b and t e r r a c e
o v e r l o o k i n g t h e h i l l s . But Steve and Michele were h a v i n g problems i n t h e i r
marriage.
"Even when we s p l i t , L a r i s s a was v e r y r e s i l i e n t , " s a i d M i c h e l e . "She s a i d ,
'Hey, t h i s i s what i s b e s t f o r you t o do. We'll suck i t up and keep g o i n g . ' "
The f a m i l y was sending two c h i l d r e n abroad t h i s summer: L a r i s s a t o France and
Steve J r . t o Honduras on an ecology t r i p .
"Huge e x c i t e m e n t , " s a i d Aunt Karen.
On a b u l l e t i n board i n t h e k i t c h e n , a h a n d w r i t t e n note i s t a c k e d i n a
prominent s p o t :
7/19 Wed a t noon
Bus leaves p a r k i n g l o t
Passport and h o l d e r
$ 24 t i p i n envelope
Medicine i n s e a l e d packet
Electrical
adaptor
Foot powder
"She came by my house l a s t week t o p i c k up a few t h i n g s t h a t I had from a
t r i p t o Europe," s a i d Karen. "She borrowed an adaptor f o r e l e c t r i c i t y , some
books I had. We were a l l v e r y e x c i t e d f o r h e r . "
"Just a l o t d f f u n t o be around," s a i d M i c h e l e .
A day b e f o r e she l e f t , L a r i s s a and her f a t h e r raked leaves and laughed.
�Page?
Daily News (New York) July 21, 1996, Sunday
Now Steve Uzupis and Michele Barlow w a i t i n a h o t e l a t Kennedy A i r p o r t t o
b r i n g t h e i r daughter home.
"They a r e t a l k i n g about maybe, next week, d o i n g t h e i d e n t i f i c a t i o n s , "
M i c h e l e . " I miss b e i n g a b l e t o g e t o u t and walk."
said
Steve Uzupis J r . , due t o leave home f o r Honduras t h e n i g h t a f t e r F l i g h t 800,
d e c i d e d t o s t a y home. "A b i g r e l i e f t o us a l l , " s a i d Karen.
THE AUNT and Tamea had been on v a c a t i o n i n N o r t h C a r o l i n a . They drove
s t r a i g h t t h r o u g h Thursday, a r r i v i n g home i n Pennsylvania i n t h e e a r l y evening.
Tamea plunged i n t o a c l o s e t . She and L a r i s s a had been c l o s e i n age, b i g
s i s t e r and s l i g h t l y l i t t l e r s i s t e r . They had p l a y e d and f o u g h t . When t h e y
p l a y e d , i t was w i t h B a r b i e s . Tamea found L a r i s s a ' s f a v o r i t e B a r b i e and p u t i t on
her s i s t e r ' s bed.
" I w i s h she was here t o t e l l me t o g e t o u t o f h e r room," Tamea t o l d h e r mom.
" I know," s a i d M i c h e l e . " I know."
GRAPHIC: PHOTOS BY MIKE ALBANS DAILY NEWS LIFE CUT SHORT: Steve Uzupis, f a t h e r
of c r a s h v i c t i m L a r i s s a Uzupis, hugs r e l a t i v e . A t l e f t , L a r i s s a ' s classmates a t
M o n t o u r s v i l l e High School console one o t h e r . Opposite page, L a r i s s a i n h e r
c h e e r l e a d i n g u n i f o r m . Her s i s t e r , Tamea, g e t s t e a r y l o o k i n g a t f a m i l y photos.
LOAD-DATE: J u l y 22, 1996
�Page 3
LEVEL 1 - 100 OF 248 STORIES
C o p y r i g h t 1996 Cable News Network, I n c .
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
CNN
SHOW: NEWS 9:29 am ET
J u l y 21, 1996
T r a n s c r i p t # 68-12
TYPE: L i v e Report
SECTION: News; Domestic
LENGTH: 3 54 words
HEADLINE: Pennsylvania Town Mourns TWA F l i g h t 800 Dead
BYLINE: MILES O'BRIEN
HIGHLIGHT:
CNN j o i n s a mass a t M o n t o u r s v i l l e , Pennsylvania. Several o f t h e 16 h i g h s c h o o l
French c l u b members k i l l e d on TWA F l i g h t 800 were members o f t h e p a r i s h , Our
Lady o f t h e Lourdes.
BODY:
MILES O'BRIEN, Anchor: H e l l o , and welcome back t o CNN Sunday Morning. As
we've been t e l l i n g you t h i s morning, i t i s a time f o r memorial s e r v i c e s o f t h e
v i c t i m s o f TWA F l i g h t 800. I n M o n t o u r s v i l l e , Pennsylvania, t h e r e i s a
p a r t i c u l a r l y sad mass underway a t t h i s moment. Many o f t h e v i c t i m s , o r a few o f
the v i c t i m s who were i n t h a t French c l u b from M o n t o u r s v i l l e , Pennsylvania were
members o f t h i s Our Lady o f Lourdes P a r i s h . We t a k e you t o t h a t s e r v i c e now,
and we b e l i e v e we're g o i n g t o be h e a r i n g from Father Steven McGuff [ s p ] .
Fr. STEVEN McGUFF: We ask t h e Lord t o hear our p r a y e r s now.
MASS PARTICIPANT: Our response i s 'Lord, hear our p r a y e r . ' That a l l t h e v i c t i m s
of F l i g h t 800 d i s a s t e r a r e w i t h God, e s p e c i a l l y we remember J u l i a Grimm [ s p ] ,
C l a i r e G a l l a g h e r [ s p ] , Dan Beshefsky [ s p ] , M i c h e l l e Bolen [ s p ] , and C a r o l F r y
[sp].
L e t us p l a y t o t h e Lord.
CONGREGATION: Lord, hear our p r a y e r .
MASS PARTICIPANT: That t h e i r f a m i l i e s w i l l be a t peace and t h a t God's l o v e w i l l
h e l p them and h e a l them, l e t us p r a y t o t h e Lord.
CONGREGATION: Lord, hear our p r a y e r .
MASS PARTICIPANT: That those wearied by p a i n o r burdened w i t h s i c k n e s s , t h a t
t h e y may f i n d r e l i e f , l e t us p r a y t o t h e Lord.
CONGREGATION: Lord, hear our p r a y e r .
�Page 4
NEWS, July 21, 1996
MASS PARTICIPANT: That God w i l l r a i s e t o l i f e a l l those who have d i e d ,
e s p e c i a l l y o u r l o v e d ones and our f r i e n d s , l e t us p r a y t o t h e Lord.
CONGREGATION: Lord, hear our p r a y e r .
[singing]
MILES O'BRIEN, Correspondent: L i v e p i c t u r e s from Our Lady o f Lourdes C a t h o l i c
Church, M o n t o u r s v i l l e , Pennsylvania. The Sunday mass underway t h e r e , t h e
c o n s e c r a t i o n o f t h e h o s t about t o b e g i n . Father Steven McGuff speaking t o t h e
p a r i s h i o n e r s a few moments ago, remembering members o f t h e p a r i s h who were on
board TWA F l i g h t 800. W e ' l l r e t u r n t o t h i s s e r v i c e a l i t t l e b i t l a t e r .
The p r e c e d i n g t e x t has been p r o f e s s i o n a l l y t r a n s c r i b e d . However, a l t h o u g h
t h e t e x t has been checked a g a i n s t an audio t r a c k , i n o r d e r t o meet r i g i d
d i s t r i b u t i o n and t r a n s m i s s i o n d e a d l i n e s , i t may n o t have been p r o o f r e a d a g a i n s t
tape.
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH
LOAD-DATE: J u l y 2 1 , 1996
�A Pennsylvania Town Asks, 'Why Us?'
By ANDREW C. REVKIN
Inside .the fifeld-stone-and-brick
MONTOURSVILLE, Pa„. July 18
. .
- At noon on Wednesday, a Susque- :hool and on its grounds, students
J
grounds, students
hanna Trailways bus stopped in front huddled in groups, rubbing red eyes,
_
of the high school here to take 16 holding each others' hands and tradstudents from the French Club and~5 g memories of their lost classnedv Inter-,
chaperons to John F. Kennedy;Inter-* mates, of the French teacher and of
national Airport in New York City to the school secretary, who went on
begin a 10-day trip to France: Lug-H her first class trip after 35 years of
gage was loaded. Hugs, kisses and ^.wprking'in the office. Also along for
farewells were traded.
-'-'/(he,trip were the mother of one stuLess than 24 hours later, tynb':tiu^i);^|^KtM. French teacher's husband
donated by the same company p u l l & o t ^ ^ f r l e n d of the secretary's.
up in front of the school t o ^ m a k f r d i e M ^ ^ ^ ;
.
same five-hour trip, this Xi^^0e ^^^nMied
oh Page B5, Column 6
^ry grief-shattered relaUvesXtoytKe^^jM^ "' • • '
—
airport to identify the b o d t M ^ h ^ M
, :.
travelers. • All of them wercispreS^^^??*- • sumed lost when Trans;Worid?Air^^P^^;-V-- lines Flight 800 -plunged to 'niiiiitinifi^
used the names of to."
shards into the Atlantic. - : ' • ^^V: the; missing, but school and town
Commonwealth Bank, a local instiIn the crash, Montoursville Hijgh'/foiFficials refused to confirm any iden- tution, announced that it had estabSchool lost its "renaissance people,"^^ .UUes, today, saying it remained In lished two funds for contributions —
Daniel Chandler, the school princi- doubt that all of the victims' rela- one to help families pay costs associpal, said. "Whatever they pursued, tives had been notified.
ated with the crash and another for
they pursued with great passion," he
Robb Dunne, a 1996 graduate who memorial scholarships. The superinsaid. "They had an amazing combi- had taken one of the missing French
nation of talent, scholarly achieve- Club members to the prom this year, tendent of the Montoursville School
ment and athletic success."
said she had been a star high jumper District, David Black, said that monMr. Chandler, along with teachers, and had worked at two jobs to help ey was already pouring in from doclergy members and family, con- raise some of the $1,500 cost of the nors as far away as Texas.
verged on the school around mid- trip.
At a news conference held on the
night last night, transforming it Into . Many student organizations at the lawn in front of the school, Mayor.
a hub of grief and prayer as they high school organize such field trips. John Dorin described a call he had.
sought to find meaning Iri inexplica- The Spanish Club just returned from taken from President Clinton, who
ble loss.
; ' •; Mexico a few days ago.
had said he shared his sorrow at the
Before the big bouquets began ar- •h! Today, 15 students met in the community's loss and would try to fit
riving today, six girls preparing to s<*TOl;llbrary several times to destart their junior year walked up to,... '*" "^^bwrith^y should go on a in a visit.
Posing an unanswerable question,
the school together, one.,df theihtca^
Planned ' trip to Honduras,
Mr. Dorin asked, "Why Montbursrying 21 plnk-rose; ' ^ * ''- *"*
.uledtto leave tonight at midfilled peanut butter jar. "Theri; iToiie night Brad Deacon, the chemistry vllle? With a population of 5,000 resifor everybody," said Bethany Yen- and environmental studies teacher dents? Why us, with this kind of a
ner.
planning to lead that trip — to study tragedy? Twenty-one people out of
Along neat blocks of turn-of-the- rain-forest ecology — described his 5,000."
century gingerbread homes, a ve- students as "anguished about what
"No matter how secluded and how
neer of normalcy was belied by black to do."
innocent we are, once we leave our
ribbons and American flags at half- ^Stephanie Gordner, an 18-year-old community, we're subject to the
staff. Montoursville, which was, in-, ^entering her senior year, said she troubles of the outside world."
corporated in 1850, was once a lum- arid the other participants had
At dusk, townspeople began filterber town but has become a bedroom changed their minds several times
community for nearby Williamsport. already. She had been up all night ing through ranks of reporters toIt has eschewed suburban sameness, after the crash, "wondering and ward the school to attend a prayer
with many of its homes sprouting waiting to hear new news, to see who vigil in the gymnasium.
Three girls walked along Cherry
whimsical touches, like hand-em- they found.'' After a pause, she said
broidered flags of blue birds and that the events of the last 24 hours Street with arms on one another's and the decision about tonight were shoulders, past neighbors watching :
sunflowers.
from folding chairs in their front;
At either end of the main street, tearing her apart.
there are wooden "Welcome" signs. ^VI!m scared," she said. "I'm yards.
The girls sat down on the grass in
Today, both signs were draped in scared of our trip, scared for the
'families and scared to find out what front of a large sign with removable
black.
Students wearing loops of ribbon happened. I don't want to believe it's letters, used to announce events at — some in the school colors, blue and my friends that this has happened the school..
The sign read, "Have a safe sumgold, and others black and gold —
mer, from the Key Club."
wandered the streets around the high
school crying, hugging and gathering
in clusters.
In the school library, local clergy
members'and other counselors had
sat all night and all day with students
and relatives of the victims.
As he took a break in the muggy
heat outside, Gary Finn, a minister
THE NE W YORK TIMES
from the Community Baptist.
Church, said he could not stop thinkFRIDAY, JULY 19. 1996
ing about how he would feel if his own
s c h o o
a n d
0 1 1 i t s
1
in
;
!
1
3
:
:
-
::
:
V i
i
:
;
two children had been on that flight.
"You quickly become a parent and.
not a pastor," he said. "How quickly
life can disappear. The Bible says . vte ''
life is a vapor. For them, it was. They ' ' - ''
were old and gone at 15." ''
./^^M^-^r'y
7
, y
-mm
;
• :""'V:-W^-
�"It just lefs you know that wins and
losses aren't that important . . . It
makes you take a couple steps backward and know wfaafs mmnUiit tn
the worid. Ifs been a tough couple
hours. AD those kids wen obviously
special kids. Where I comefrom,you
don't just get up and go to Paris every
day. They were looking forward to
that for a long time."
Ann Simpson, 56, a town resident
and mother who knew two of the students killed in the crash, said. They
were youngrosycheeked kids with Ug
eyes for the world and their whole
lives ahead of them. The worid has become mad in so many ways and now
bers of any airline suffer this kind of
tragedy." But Richard said the threat
of a terrorist bomb always seemed to
him to be too unpredictable to worry
about
Paula A. Carven, a longtime flight
attendant was not on duty when the
plane crashed. Instead, she had been
heading to Europe for a vacation with
Of the 16 victims, he said. "They
By Rene Sanchez
her 9-year-old son, Jay.
are exceptiooal kids, both academically
and Serge F. Kovalesld
and socially, the kind of kids you'd like
"It's just tragic She'd done so many
Wjihinpon PMt Suff Writm
to take home and make your own."
flightsforher work and to have this
They were travelers taking up
Outside the school all day Thursday,
happen on a vacation, and when her
the timelessritualsof summer or students gathered for hours in small,
son was with her, oo top of that it's
jetting off on business: Small-town solemn aides and barely spoke. It alawful," said Patrick Redmond, who
high school students setting off to ready had been a tough year. A stusaid he's known the family in Bel Air,
practice their French and explore a dent hadfflmmittPrisuicide, and anMd., for many years.
foreign culture. A couple celebrat- other had died in a car accident. OUT ^rnallj fflypplfr COOBSUDlty lUS bcCQ Carven, 44, began working for the
ing their fifth anniversary with a Winterfloodsalso ruined the homes of touched by it and maybe changed fbr- airline industry soon after high school,
Paris vacation. An 11-year-old manyfeiniKpQwhose children atftrd jever."
butrecentlyshe had been planning to
French exchange student return- the adwoL And now this.
A vigil in honor of those killed was take a job with arealestate agency,
ing home from New Jersey. An in"We have not had a year as difficult scheduledfartonight at the school.
neighbors said.
terior decorator about to launch a , 13 ttlia nni» i n a long time," the
Jay, a third-grader at Ring Factory
new collection of fabrics. And a | j Rev. Gary Rnn, the pastor of County The Seasoned Crew
Elementary School, was "the light of
television executive making bis last Baptist Church in Montoursville. "PeoThe crewflyingTWA Flight 800 hisfamily'slife. He was gregarious, he
business trip for his network.
ple cannot even comprehend losing
had neazty a century of comMned ex- loved people, he loved practical jokes,"
The journey, for m^ny, had final- these students now."
: said neighbor Cathy RafalskL Said his
ly arrived after months of planning
Late yesterday outside the school, perience, according to details released teacher. Donna Zavacky, "He had been
hy the airline yesterday.
ana anticipation. But it ended Andrea Wheitlkh, who just graduated
TWAflightengineer Richard Camp- talking about his vacation this summer
abruptly, horribly, with the crash from Montoursville High this spring, ben died in the dash a little more than and wasreallylookingforwardto it"
of TWA Flight 800, which explod- stood tzemUing as she held a band- two weds after he had received his
ed into afireballand then plunged written letter she had recently re- 30-year pinfromthe airline. Campbell Return to Summer H m
o e
the mafl. The letter
from
into the ocean shortly after taking ceived inWolfson, a junior at was high had logged 18£27 hours offlyingtime
Wendy
the
Judith Connelly Delouvrier, 46, of
off from John F. Kennedy Intema- school, who Wheitlkfa said was aboard since he was hired by TWA in 1966.
New York, had hurried to catch
tional Airport on Wednesday eve- the TWAflightWolfson, she said, was
Longtimefriendand fellow TWA
ning. The disaster took 230 lives, one of her closestfriends,an aspiring Captain William Mayer read a "state- Flight 800 Wednesday night in an effort to return a day early to her famfrom small children to adults on the (uuist who also liked poetry.
ment from Campbell's Ridgefield, ily's summer home in Hericy,
verge of retirement, and left in its
The letter,flowingwith the seal of a Coon., home, where dozens of friends
France. Delouvrier was "the conwake stunned and shattered comteenager, showed just how profound gathered to comfort Campbell's wife summate mother and a wonderful
munities across the nation. So far,
and two teenage sons: "Obviously the person," who would play ice hockey
more than 100 bodies have been, .tins town's loss is.
'Summer has been great," the letter family pnH fripryto nf K y - h a ^ f>mph»Il with her son, Henry, 9, and attend
recovered from the sea, many of
are in shock and grieving over this
them charred byfire.Only a hand- read, "between performing at Carne- tragedyforhim andforall the families ballet lessons with her daughter, Isagie Hall Q got roses), and attempting
belle, 7, her sister said.
ful have been identified.
of the others involved. The family is
Delouvrier had returned to New
You cannot miss grief in a small tn get my driver's bcenae (pedestrians talrtng fahy tfT* I Y " " * " hatwlKng thio
town. It was evident everywhere beware)."
grief and great loss. Richard was a de- York for this weekend to oversee
Many of the Montoursville High
construction oo herfamily'shome
today in Montoursville, Pa., poputeenagers had never been overseas- voted husband, proud father, fine there and had not planned to return
See VICTIMS, A20, CoL 1
Amanda Karschner, 17, had never friend and a dedicated professional pi-until Thursday. But she finished
lot"
/
been on an airplane.
VICTIMS, From Al
Captain Rvi . i&wrolriau iwal with checking the construction a day ear<
1 just saw her oo Tuesday morning
ly, and she raced to Kennedy Airport
lation around 5,000, as it struggled getting ready to leave. It was her fast his wife in the quiet manicured suburb to catch the flight
to comprehend the death of 16 of its timeflying,and everybody wis telling of Garden Grove, Ca., about two miles
_
brightest high school students, zangr • her not to he nervous and eooouragmg from Disneyland. Neighbors described "My sister was the most vibrant,
ing in age from 14 to 17. They all her to just have a good time,* said Kevorkian as an affable man, whose zestful person, who cherished her
life and her wonderful
were members of the Montoursville > Charlie Desanto, owner of Cellini's flying career kept him oo the road Josephine Mandevillechildren," said
•
of Philadelmost of the time. Since joining TWA in
High School French Club, and they Sub House, where Karschner had
1965. he had 18,791flighthours un- phia. She "was known for her infecwere aboard the doomed TWA air- workedfara year and a half,
tious laugh and Irish sentimentality,"
liner withfiveadult chaperones.
• "When I heard about a crash, I said. der his bdt
But Kevorkian also liked to get thefamilysaid in a statement
Through the night, and all day in; Tfanes go out of there every 30 seethe town, residents lit candles in their' onds. Itoouldn't be her plane,' "he re- away with his wife. They used their A native of Philadelphia, she was
front windows to mourn. Teenage,, called. 'Everybody went crazy when RV a lot They must have enjoyed get- married to the French-bom Philippe
boys scrambled about the town's main wefinallyfoundout"
ting away and relaxing," Perry said. Delouvrier, president and chief exFAA sources said in May that the ecutive officer of Eastern Industrial
street wrapping yellowribbonsaround Karschner, who would have been a
agency bad begun an cffidal inquiry in- Minerals of Brunswick, Ga.
every street post and road sign. Stares
this school year, was set to bedosed. Flags flew at half staff.
come captain of the gill's varsity bas- to an incident in which Kevorkian had
Final Assignment
A team of ministers and counselors ketballteam.She also excelled in track landed an overweight plane.
Captain Steve Snyder, of Stratford,
rushed to the high school early this andfield,making it to the state cham•Conn., who had flown for 17,263 hours Jack O'Hara, 36, the Emmy
morning to help parents and teachers. pfuwhipft laqt y m y m tfiA liigh jinfi|\
Award-winning executive producer
The high school has been' opened .. "She always had a smile on her face; for TWA since he was hired in 1964. of ABC Sports, his wife, Janet, 39,
aroupd the dock, serving as a counsel- the customers loved her," Desanto Flight engineer Oliver KrickfromSt and their dau^jter, Caitlin, 13, were
Louis. He wasfairedin March of this
ing center and information hub. Local said. I t is just so devastating." ^
flying on hisfinalassignment for the
restaurants have been donating food.
Baltimore Orioles pitcher Mike year and was aboard the flight as an television network, supervising the
"Right now everyone here b just Mussma, who graduated in 1987 from observer.
There were 14 flight attendants finish of this year's Tour de France.
very, very numb," said Patricia Montoursville High and said he knew
Weigle, one of the counselors.
five of the adult chaperones and four working cm the flight «s weU as a sec- O'Hara, afive-timeEmmy Award
orfiveof the teenagers killed in the ond TWA crew of three pilots and an- winner, had resigned Wednesday,
School principal Daniel Chandler
of
said many students and residents crash. Mussina has spent three off- other 14flightattendants who were Mark Mandel, directortoldmedia refor ABC Sports
the
seemed almost too stunned to react seascBs helping to coachfootballand traveling to Europe to meet another lationsPress. O'Hara spoke toAssoa colbasketball at the school and said he plane, a TWA spokesman told a news ciated
since the news first reached here
leaguefromTWA's terminal shortly
' Wednesday night When two busloads coached one of the teenagers oo the briefing.
Employees of several airlines at before boarding-flight 800, Mandel
of the teenagers' relatives left before plane but declined to name him.
Kennedy Airport yesterday, mean- said. The O'Hara's twin boys, Brian
dawn Thursday to drive to Kennedy Mussina-, who still lives in MonAirport, 75 people showed up to send toursville, said before the Orioles' while, said the fate of TWA Flight 800
tbem off. But the departure was eerily game last night against the Red Sox in and a rash of other air crashes had
silent
Boston: "When you start hearing added to the stress of flying for a liv"When the parents were leaving to names . . . it just gets doser to you. ing, but few saw many solutions for
get on the bus it was almost too quiet," . . . From what I understand, the the wear and tear of their profession.
"We're all affected by tragedies
Chandler recalled. "People are in town's taking it pretty hard.... The
shock; it is one of stunned silence and people wiO stick togetljer andfinda such as this one, but then we all go
bewfldermait Our job is to keep (the way to get through i t [But] ifs not go- back to our jobs of making passengers
high school] open so they can talk to ing to be easy, and ifs not going to be as comfortable as possible," said SharTHE WASHINGTON POST
on Lyons, aflightattendant for United
whoever they want or get a hug if they quick.
Airlines who heads an Association of
need ooe."
FRIDAY, JILV 19.1996
Flight Attendants committee working
on stress problems.
GJ). Richards, a Delta pilot for 32
years until hisretirementthis year,
said "you hate to see fellow air mem-
)mmiimties
To Cope
Tragedy
l
�It now
400 and a large
of
and Matthew, 12, did not accompany sisters decided to make the trip to customers that Gray largely built,
accompany a cousin, Stephanie
them.
"Jack was a great guy who was Gaetke, of Kansas City, who was on
"He was highly regarded, very
passionate about his work and com- the plane with her husband, Dan.
generous, and he surround himself
mitted to airing the finest sports
with strong people and he expected
television programming possible," Launching a Fabric Line
said Bob Iger, the chief executive of- New York interior decorator/Jed a lot out of them." He was traveling
with two executives of Daniels Holdficer and president of Capital Cities/ABC Inc in a statement to net- Johnson, 47, a clos6 confidante of ing Corp., the New Yorkfirmthat
Andy Warhol and designer for Bar- had agreed to buy Midland, and an
work employees.
Said Mandel: "It's a surreal atmos- bra Streisand and Richard Gere, was investment bankerfroma New York
phere at ABC Sports and at the net- jetting to Paris on business. A promi- firm that was underwriting the purwork. No one believes it actually nentfigurein the New York design chase.
happened. It's been a nightmare." world, Johnson was about to launch a
O'Hara, who was appointed exec- collection of fabrics under his own Grief Headquarters
utive producer of ABC Sports in name and was to receive additional
Just outside Kennedy Airport, the
April 1991 and is responsible for all recognition with the publication of
aspects of the production of ABC Conde Nast's new House & Garden grand ballroom of the Ramada Plaza
Hotel had been turned into the
Sports telecasts, including NFL magazine on Aug. 13.
"Monday Night Football" and "ABC's The magazine win devote a covet- crash's grief headquarters. Families
Wide World of Sports." He was the ed major feature of about a dozes andfriendsof at least 50 of the victhird person to hold that position. pages to an apartment Johnson deco- tims arrived throughout the day and
rated for a family in New York City. were immediately whisked into a seOn Exchange Program
"We stopped the presses to put a questered area.
There they met with grief counLudwig Chaunce, 11, was "a very line on the contents page about selorsfromTWA and the American
him," said Dominique Browning,
Americanized little French boy," said
Frank Capozza, the father of a New House & Garden editor-in-chief Red Cross and waited for whatever
Jersey family who had hosted "What a great loss. He always news the airline was able to share
with them.
Chaunde as an exchange student for seemed to be ahead of the spin."
Giuliani, whofirstmet with vicparts of the last two summers.
Johnson learned the design busiBefore the bo/s trip home, the ness by endless hours of shopping tims' families at the airport Wednesfamily had loaded his suitcase with and antiquing with Warhol and his day night, criticized TWA for failing
paraphernaliafromthe New York celebrityfriendsin between parties. to tellfamiliesrightaway who was
Knicks and Chicago Bulls basketball He traveled to Paris about six times onboard.
teams. The boy called his mother in a year, and on Monday he decided be Giuliani himself was given a pasFrance before leaving New Jersey to needed to make a quick trip there senger list by TWA by 2:30 ajn.
fly home, Capozza said. "He hung up mid-week tofirmup arrangements Thursday but refused to share it
the phone and he cried because he
withfamiliesbecause of what airline
was looking forward to seeing his for his fabric line.
officials said were National TransJohnson spent a lot oftimeat his
mom."
beach house on Fire Island; just off portation Safety Board rules against
The family thought they had safethe immediate release.
ly put Chaunce on board the flight Long Island. The terrace of that : When he surveyed the Hst, the
only to hear on the news after they house, in the Water Island communi- New York Mayor recognized the
returned home that the plane had ty, has a view of the Atlantic Ocean, name of afriendand client frrm his
not far from where the plane tormer law practice.
crashed.
The family immediately drove crashed.
back to Kennedy Airport tofindout
Sanchez reportedfrom
what they could. Frank Capozza said Fashion Shoot
Montoursville and Kovaleski from
there were no senior TWA employRico PuUmann, 62, a noted New Washington. Staff writers Laurie
ees available to provide them with
Goodstein, Jay Mathews, Bill
information or to help them phone York fashion photographer, booked McAllister, Jura Koncius and Fern
two seats on Flight 800 for himself
the boy's parents in France. But finally, New York Mayor Rudolph W. and an assistant . Puhhnann, who Shen and special correspondent
Giuliani's press aide, Christine Lahti, worked for many major magazines Cassandra Stem contributed to this
telephoned the family and in broken and fashion designers,, was on his report.
French told them of their son's fate. way to Paris for yet another shoot
Maura de Visscher, chief executive officer of Emanuel/Emanuel UnWedding Anniversary
garo who received afinishedpackAmy and Kyle Miller, both 29, of age of photographsfromPuhlmami
Tamaqua, Pa., had been married five on Wednesday to be used in fall adTHE WASHINCTON Pmr
years and were going to Paris to cel- vertisingforthe dothing line in sevebrate their anniversary. Her father, eral magazines, describedPuhhnann
FRn)AY,jiLYl9,1996
Monty Siekennan, told the Associated Press that he had spoken to his as "sensitive, creative and talented.
daughter a few hours before she and And he was such a gteat gentleman,
her husband boarded theflight"She which in our industry is not always
.
was excited about it and said, 'Well the case."
call you when we get in. Dad.'"
Tending to a Deal '
Sisters'Holiday
Chrisha Siebert, 28, technical theater director at Rockhurst College in
Kansas City, Mo., was going to Paris
on a holiday with her sister, Brenna
Siebert, 25, who worked in a veterinary clinic in Jefferson City. Chrisha
"was a very versatile person, she
took on every production that came
here," said Rosita McCoy, a spokeswoman for the S.OOO-student Jesuit
college. According to McCoy, the
Charies H. (Hank) Gray,i47^was
travelingfromMemphis to. Europe
to try to interest investors: m|the .
firm that has just agreed to pay $80
million in stock for ttte insurance
firm Gray headed. It waste bejhe .3
first of three weeks of what aides >
called "road sbowsT about the pending merger.
The deal would have made Gray a
rich man, but it was his zeal for business that his colleagues remembered. "He was a brilliant business
man, not afraid to take ariskand not
afraid to admit it when he failed,"
said Elena Barham, chieffinancialof' ficer at Midland Financial Group
Inc.,.thefirmthat Gray joined when
it had only nine employees.
2/
�• •. ..^.•••-••.•.•.^iojiwwita*-''
'after
Pa. town
16 teens die in TWA crash
w o organized the trip, and
h
her husband Doug last Sunday. While she had been to
Paris before, "It was his
first time and he was really
lookingforwardto It"
MONTOURSVILLE, Pa. - Mike Taylor's
The Dickeys leave bem m w k him at 3 am with
o
oe
hind two little girls, " n
ad
the news. The jet taking his COVER STORY
h w they have no one."
o
high school French dub to
Beth Peet, w o will be a
h
Paris had crashed. "I thought
sophomore this fall, had
it was a dream," Mike said.
wanted to g on the French
o
A fewfroursearlier Keevin Larson walked ,
dub trip, but her father
into his son's bedroom. The TV had a story about
'
gave her the choice of going
a plane going down. The father said simply, "I
USA TODAY to Paris or getting a car. She
have bad news, a bunch of our kids were oh that '
chose the Dodge Lancer.
plane."
•. V - n - ' - * ^ ^ • '
She lost two friends, Claire Gallagher and Julie Grimm..
And so Montoursville began to tell Its chlldrtn >; •'•-"Claire was very smart," Peet said. Julie, w o danced, sang in
h
that their friends were dead. •. *. ./s-^^ffipk^,;
chorus and played in the band, "was so fun."
Sixteen high school students andflveadultsMk;'
It was Julie w o took Beth on herfirstrollercoasterride
h
o their way to 1 days in France, di^iwfieh^
n
0
ever, last Memorial Day, on a trip to Hershey Park to see
T Aflight8 0 exploded shortly after takeoff
W
0
Weird Al Yankovic
Wednesday night.
?
It has already beenasad school year for Montourevilie. Last
Throughout the night, families and friends
winter, a grade schooler was hit by a bus and Ulled. This
gathered at Montoursville High School At dawn,
spring, a student committed suicide and another, Ryan Quinn,
t o buses chartered by the school leftforN w
w
e
died in a car accident that left another student in a coma.
York wtth 1 family members, two ministers
8
He was an 'everybody knew him' kind of kid," said Tina
and three school administrators on board.
HeUer, whose cousin track star Ranee Hettler, died in the
"Ifs no joy ride. TheyTl be going there to idenplane crash.
tify bodies," principal Dan Chandler said.
Counselors and pastors assembled at the one-story, stone
They left behind a grief-stricken town where
school where many students spent Wednesday night and all
almost everyone in the 800-student high school
day Thursday crying and comforting each other. Ten counselknew someone w o had been
h
ors saw more than 1 0 students and adults.
0
on the trip. The net of friendsh"They've been telling us the same thing we've been telling
hip and kinship in neighborly
each other, mi be OK. Ifs OK to ay,'" said Ifcnya Chambers.
Mountoursville,. population
Shannon Nesbltt, 14, w o will be a sophomore, remembers
h
5,000, turned to a web of sorrow that spread over
W n y Wolfson. " h n we went to the prom, I hung around
ed
We
the whole town here on the banks of the Susquewith her ... She dldnl have whole deal of friends, but the
hanna River.
frietads she had, she was great to."
"Ifs a pretty tight town," said Klmber Witsoh,
On a yellow banner In the front ball, they wrote messages.
brother of Jacque Watson, 18. He traveled with 'v
"You're In our hearts." "Our prayers are with you."
his mother and other Montoursville families to i-v
"This town's been put through the ringer," Larson said. "BeJFK airport early Thursday. "I'm In a daze. She,. * .
cause we've gone through this before, it hurts more."
was like the apple of m eye."
y
But this time, the nation is grieving with Montoursville. Flags
She was quiet and independent She shunned.' *
fly at half-staff throughout Pennsylvania An e-mail address
the party life. She looked forward to a future at -: i.;
has been set up at condolences@pennetnet In thefirsthalf
Indiana University In Pennsylvania.";^ trade • fv
hour condolences arrived from Texas; New York and Austram spot In a secondforher," W to taSA.k^O^' '
y
as n
lia, said David Bennett, a sales manager with Pennet, the local
Tbylor knewtourpeople on the plane: He ;
Internet provider. *
played football with Ranee Hettler. He was in \ •
At 1220 pjn. Thursday, President Clinton called John Dorin,
the town's mayor for 1 years. "He offered his condolences to
5
Please see COVER STORY next page^_
the community," Dorin said. "It's not what he said, ifs his concern. He said, 1 k o people are hurting In Montoursville.'"
nw
Continued from IA
At a news conference in Washington, the president lamented the loss of life, especially of so many young.
the same class with Claire Gallagher. He's friends with Mi"Our country will be poorerfortheir absence..." he said.
chelle Bohlln's sister and plays baseball with Jessica Alkey's
" n the rest of you will havetowork a little hardertolive up
Ad
brother.
to your promise andtotheirs as well" Then the president led a
"They were cool," he said.
m m n of silent prayer.
o et
Sitting on the lawn in front of the high school with friends
With nadonal grief came nadonal publicity. TV trucks, phoThursday afternoon, Kady Boell, w o will be 1 In two weeks,
h
6
tographers andreportersconverged on the high school. Mayor
remembered Monica Cox, a talented language student w o
h
Dorin answered quesdonsforone TV interviewer after anothwas o the trip.
n
er. Tearful students stayed Inside the school,reluctanttoface
"All she was talking about was going to France. This was her
cameras. And those w o did, were alternately excited by the
h
life's dream — to g to Paris."
o
.
prospect of being on European television or angry when camTim English, Michelle Bohlln's cousin, worried about what
eras caught them crying and hugging.
will happen in September "I d worry about the people w o
o
h
"Don't take picturesT Boell shouted at a photographer.
were really close to them. Sometimes, things like that —you
"We're in grief!"
don't see any reason to g oa It's going to be really, hard to' *
o
walk d w the hall and not see those people." OnThyraday,
on
Students, w o had been told not to give out names of the
h
Montoursville dressed Itself In mourning, f
* JSf^V
•
victims ortoshow pictures of them, said they were offered
At 7:45, Yvonne Meuse began putting up 2 hearts on the^ l
1
<
m n y for their yearbooks.
oe
window of Diane's Slender You, a tanning and ligure salon bn't >
" edratherhave the families' respect than (the media's)
W'
Broad Street A large heartread,"If our hearts combine,'we^
money," Boell said.
can make it" She wrapped the telephone poles on Broad, ^
The students k o the sadness will linger into the school
nw
Street In yellow crepe paper.
^V^'V ,
year, and the magnitude of the tragedy has left tbem fearful.
"I k o so many kids over there. They're like sisters and
nw
At a time when teen-agers should feel they're going to live forbrothers," said Meuse, a junior at Lycoming College.
ever, they've been stripped of that llludoa
Three of the girls oh the plane were clients of Diane's Slen"We're goingtostart school and we're going to expecttosee
der You.
all these people, and the/re not goingtobe there," Boell said.
"Everybody knows everybody. It's going to be really hard.
"They were great people and they didnt deservetodie."
The atmosphere feds really empty. There are a lot of cars, but
Perhaps because she has seen death, Shlrlene Pregent, an
n one's there. People look blank."
o
intenslvecare nurse and the mother of Shannon Nesbltt was
Neville's Flowers gave away blue and goldribbons,the colS
philosophical: "You could ask for nothing more than thalthey
ors of the Montoursville Warriors. At 23 a billboard went u
:0
p
were joyous in their last seconds."
>
o Broad Street saying, "The country, indeed the world,
n
At Thursday night's prayer service in the high school gym,
shares your sorrow."
hundreds cametogetherfor a gathering billed as a time for
The " ec m to Montoursville" sign oh Broad Street was
Wlo e
prayer, not a memorial.
shrouded in black.
. v
The Rev. Jerry Uppling of the First Christian Church
All week at Commonwealth Bank, branch manager'David
opened the service with Psalm 22, which also were the last
Raleigh had seen excited high school students come In to b y
u
words of Christ on the cross: ' y God, M God, why have you
M
y
travelers checks for the trip. Today, he set u t o funds lor
p w
forsaken me?' The Psalmreadingswent on for an hour.
those affected b the tragedy to which the bank donated V .
y
Uppling said he called this prayer assembly 'to share the
$10,000 — one for family relief and one for a memorial. ' V
pain of tragedy as well as the tragedy of pain."
Raleigh had picnicked with French teacher Debbie Dickey," '
Students quietly passed around photos of their dead friends
and wept Barents h g e their small children.
u gd
• •••'••i-VvAc^-^SW:---.:Thefinalpreacher was the Rev. Gary Finn of the Community Baptist Church. At exactly 84 p.m. he began, Twenty-four
:5
hours ago, as the sun went down, It did so in a far greater way
. ..USA.TO[&j$^
for thistownship....W were stricken once agffin tn a brutal
e
way. It has I
a year that brought that unpleasant, unwel/•FRIDAY. JULy;T|||||p
come visitor (i
i here far too i y times."
By Martha T. M o e
or
and Linda Kanamine
U A TODAY
S
:
v
••
>
/
r
1
Contributing: Carol J. Castaneda
�Shannon Lyncher, born the day the challenger blew up in 1986, always wanted to be an
astronaut - just last week she got Buzz Aldrin's autograph - she died on the flight with her
mother Pam (37) and sister Katy (8). They were on their way to France for a vacation.
Jill Ziemkiewicz, 23 year old from Rutherford, N.J. -- who had dreamed of being a flight
attendant and had graduated from TWA's flight attendant school on May 30th. she was so
excited about her 1st international flight that she got to the airport three hours early
Larkyn Dwyer - an 11 year old girl who could not wait to see the Eiffel Tower and who felt
it was very important to have her birthday (in August) under the Eiffel Tower
Brent Richey (26) and his fiancee Seana Anderson (27) who were on their way to Italy where
they were going to get married and stay for a honeymoon
Marcel Dadi (from France) who was a guitar player returning to his home in France after
coming to Nashville to receive a star at the Country Music Hall of Fame
Charles "Chick" Beatty was on his way to Italy to install new information systems for the
USS La Salle as part of the Bosnian peacekeeping mission
"a Midwest couple who hoped to conceive their first child in Paris"
Beverly Hammer, "a Long Island woman who vowed to conquer her fear of flying" so she
could go on this special mother-daughter trip with daughter Tracy (29)
Andrew Krukar, with an engagement ring in his pocket, on his way to propose to his fiancee
who worked in Paris ^-6r>_ ^ C?lM,
$1^^)
the Silverman family from Bel-Air, Calif, who were on their way to a Bat Mitzvah in Israel
Ohio French teacher Sandra Hazelton, who had marrried her husband Robert in Paris and
was flying to Paris with her duaghter Katrina Rose as a graduation present to Katrina, who
had just received an associate of arts from Lakeland Community College in Kirkland
Debra Dickey - a French teacher in Montoursville, married to Douglas Dickey
�OTHER STORIES
a television executive making his last trip for his network (Jack O'Hara - the 5 time Emmy
Award-winning executive producer of ABC Sports, his 39-year-old wife Janet and their 13year-old daughter Caitlin) - final assignment was supervising the finish of this year's Tour
de France - their twin boys, Brian and Matthew (12) were not with them
"Five people from 2 families, including two 13-year-old Boy Scouts from the small town of
Stevenson, Ala., were headed for a long vacation that was to feature plenty of hiking" (USA
Today - Puente & Moss 7/19)
"French exchange student Ludovic Chanson, 12, who had spent a month in New Jersey with
an American family, so loved his Dennis Rodman sneakers he had to wear them on the
airplane." (USA Today - Puente & Moss 7/19)
8 I t a l i a n passengers:
2 couples who had been honeymooning in the USA
a laid-off factory worker who had visited relatives in Brooklyn
�Page 7
LEVEL 1 - 81 OF 361 STORIES
The A s s o c i a t e d Press
The m a t e r i a l s i n t h e AP f i l e were compiled by The A s s o c i a t e d Press. These
m a t e r i a l s may n o t be r e p u b l i s h e d w i t h o u t t h e express w r i t t e n consent o f The
A s s o c i a t e d Press.
J u l y 20, 1996, Saturday,
PM c y c l e
SECTION: Domestic News
LENGTH: 3 02 0 words
HEADLINE: Amish P i l o t , Honeymoon Guests - Crash Claimed A l l Types
BYLINE: By The A s s o c i a t e d Press
BODY:
An Amish boy l e f t a horse-and-buggy y o u t h t o become a man who f l e w on m e t a l
wings. A p a i r o f h i g h school f r i e n d s g o i n g t o a p a l ' s wedding - and honeymoon. A
newly t r a i n e d f l i g h t a t t e n d a n t on h e r f i r s t i n t e r n a t i o n a l hop. These a r e some o f
the s t o r i e s o f t h e people who were aboard TWA F l i g h t 800, and t h e l o v e d ones
l e f t behind:
Gideon B. M i l l e r grew up on an Amish farm i n Pennsylvania, b u t l e f t h i s r o o t s
b e h i n d t o become a p i l o t f o r TWA.
"He went from no-tech t o h i g h t e c h n o l o g y , " s a i d Treva K u r t z , a l i f e l o n g
family friend.
He spent 33 years w i t h t h e a i r l i n e and was 2 years s h o r t o f r e t i r e m e n t .
"He was v e r y proud t o have reached t h e accomplishment o f becoming an a i r l i n e
p i l o t o f one o f t h e b i g g e s t planes i n t h e w o r l d , " s a i d W i l Esh, M i l l e r ' s
s o n - i n - l a w . " I t was n o t t y p i c a l f o r an Amish boy."
"Gid," as f r i e n d s c a l l e d t h e 5 7 - y e a r - o l d , was on h i s way t o P a r i s t o p i l o t
another 747 f o r t h e a i r l i n e .
He and h i s w i f e , B e t t y , l i v e d i n Sarasota, F l a . , and l o v e d t o t r a v e l ,
Europe and t a k i n g t h r e e s a f a r i s t o A f r i c a .
roaming
M i l l e r , a f a t h e r o f two and g r a n d f a t h e r o f t h r e e , gave up t h e Amish f a i t h he
grew up w i t h , b u t h i s p e r s o n a l f a i t h never faded, B e t t y M i l l e r s a i d .
"God's s t r e n g t h i s g o i n g t o see me t h r o u g h t h i s , " she s a i d .
Becoming a f l i g h t a t t e n d a n t was t h e r e a l i z a t i o n o f a dream f o r J i l l
Ziemkiewicz, and she t r i e d t o convince her mother t h a t h e r new j o b was s a f e .
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"My mom was w o r r i e d . She s a i d , ' J i l l , t h e more you f l y t h e more chance t h e r e
i s o f something happening,"' s a i d h e r s i s t e r , C a r i n z i e m k i e w i c z . "My s i s t e r
would send my mother a r t i c l e s about how safe planes were ... and she had no
reason t o worry."
The 2 3 - y e a r - o l d from R u t h e r f o r d , N.J., graduated May 30 from TWA's f l i g h t
a t t e n d a n t school i n St. L o u i s .
"She l o v e d t o t r a v e l , and t h a t was one o f t h e reasons why she had t h a t l i t t l e
dream i n t h e back o f h e r head f o r so l o n g t o be a f l i g h t a t t e n d a n t , " C a r i n s a i d .
J i l l ' s f i r s t i n t e r n a t i o n a l f l i g h t - h e r f i f t h o v e r a l l - was t a k i n g h e r back
t o France, which she had v i s i t e d f o r a weekend when she s t u d i e d i n Germany,
Carin said.
"This was h e r dream, she wanted so much t o go t o t h e Gardens o f V e r s a i l l e s , "
she s a i d . "She was so e x c i t e d about g o i n g on t h i s t r i p she g o t t o t h e a i r p o r t
t h r e e hours e a r l y . "
Namik and C l a r a Jean Ersoz were t a k i n g t h e i r nephew, David Babb, t o meet h i s
mother and two s i s t e r s f o r an 11-day t o u r o f France.
They were p l a n n i n g t o t r a v e l w i t h t h e f a m i l y o f a French exchange s t u d e n t who
had s t a y e d w i t h t h e Babbses a t t h e i r home n o r t h o f P i t t s b u r g h .
The Ersozes had b o t h worked as a n e s t h e s i o l o g i s t s a f t e r s t u d y i n g medicine a t
t h e U n i v e r s i t y o f P i t t s b u r g h . David, t h e son o f A l f r e d and S h e r r i Babb, was an
e i g h t h - g r a d e r a t Wilmington Middle School.
Ersoz, 64, immigrated t o t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s from Turkey 35 years ago. Mrs.
Ersoz, 59, was t h e former v i c e p r e s i d e n t o f medical a f f a i r s a t St. C l a i r
H o s p i t a l i n t h e P i t t s b u r g h suburb o f Mt. Lebanon, and she s t i l l worked t h e r e as
a consultant.
"She t a u g h t courses a l l over Europe, b u t t h i s was t o be a p l e a s u r e
s a i d h e r b r o t h e r , John Babb.
Dennis and Peggy P r i c e and t h e i r two sons seemed a c l a s s i c
f a m i l y t o neighbors.
trip,"
ail-American
"They were g r e a t people, g r e a t n e i g h b o r s , always on t h e go," s a i d Steve
Yanoviak, who had known them 15 years. "They were v e r y a t h l e t i c . They were i n t o
g o l f and t e n n i s . They s k i e d . "
The P r i c e s , o f Englwood, Colo., were heading t o France f o r a b i k e t o u r . They
had l e f t t h e i r sons, 1 6 - y e a r - o l d Evan and 1 3 - y e a r - o l d Logan, behind - p o s s i b l y
a t a t e n n i s camp, neighbors s a i d .
Neighbor and co-worker Diane Townsend d e s c r i b e d Mrs. P r i c e as "a type-A
person. I f anyone c o u l d do i t a l l , have i t a l l and come p r e t t y darn c l o s e , she
was i t . "
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A r t h u r Benjamin's l o n g c a r e e r as a teacher brought him i n 1990 t o Masterman
School i n P h i l a d e l p h i a , where he t a u g h t computer science t o g i f t e d s t u d e n t s .
"He w i l l be missed by a l l those s t u d e n t s he had touched and by those t o come
who w i l l never know him," c i t y schools S u p e r i n t e n d e n t David W Hornbeck s a i d
.
Thursday. "Our schools and our c i t y cannot a f f o r d t o l o s e t e a c h e r s o f h i s
caliber."
High s c h o o l f r i e n d s M i c h e l l e Becker and Rebecca Olsen were on t h e i r way t o
P a r i s f o r a p a l ' s wedding. They had planned t o s t a y f o r a one month t o u r o f
Europe - i n v i t e d a l o n g on t h e honeymoon.
A u r e l i e Becker was unable t o express h e r g r i e f a t t h e l o s s o f h e r 1 9 - y e a r - o l d
daughter, who would have been a j u n i o r a t Georgia S t a t e U n i v e r s i t y i n A t l a n t a
this f a l l .
" I j u s t c a n ' t do i t , " she s a i d choking back t e a r s a f t e r M i c h e l l e ' s d e a t h was
c o n f i r m e d Thursday. "My mind has gone b l a n k . "
Becker and Olsen met i n h i g h school i n Macon, Ga., and remained c l o s e even
though t h e y went t o d i f f e r e n t c o l l e g e s - Olsen a t t e n d e d t h e U n i v e r s i t y o f
Georgia i n Athens.
One couple missed t h e f l i g h t because o f a dog.
L i a t and Fred Campbell were t r a v e l i n g t o I s r a e l , where Campbell p l a y s
p r o f e s s i o n a l b a s k e t b a l l . But t h e i r dog, King, c o u l d n ' t board t h e p l a n e w i t h o u t a
checkup and t h e Campbells had t o w a i t .
"For some reason, we g o t l u c k t h r o u g h him," Campbell t o l d WMAZ-TV i n Macon,
Ga. " I t ' s l i k e a second chance. I j u s t thank God we weren't on t h a t f l i g h t . "
O l i v i a Simmons, who spent t h e school year as an elementary s c h o o l l i b r a r i a n ,
worked p a r t - t i m e as a TWA f l i g h t a t t e n d a n t .
Simmons, 50, o f Orange, N.J., wasn't w o r k i n g on t h e f l i g h t and i n f a c t had
o r i g i n a l l y been scheduled as a passenger on another p l a n e . She was s w i t c h e d
suddenly t o F l i g h t 800, s a i d n e x t - d o o r - n e i g h b o r A l i c e Malone.
"You c o u l d n ' t meet a b e t t e r person. The whole f a m i l y , j u s t b e a u t i f u l p e o p l e .
You c o u l d n ' t have a b e t t e r n e i g h b o r , " Malone s a i d .
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was
Simmons worked f o r TWA on weekends and v a c a t i o n s . The r e s t o f t h e t i m e , she
a l i b r a r i a n a t t h e Broadway Elementary School i n Newark.
She l i v e d w i t h her mother, Malone s a i d , and always brought n e i g h b o r s p r e s e n t s
from her t r i p s . A f t e r a r e c e n t f l i g h t t o New Orleans, Simmons brought Malone
pecan syrup and pecan c o o k i e s .
"She always thought t h a t she should g i v e a g i f t , and we always t o l d her we
were n e i g h b o r s and she s h o u l d n ' t g i v e us g i f t s . But she always d i d , " Malone
said.
Steve Graham was a q u i e t man whose r e t i c e n c e d i s g u i s e d h i g h - t e c h i n t e l l i g e n c e
and a s l y w i t .
Graham, who was on h i s way t o meet h i s p a r e n t s f o r a h o l i d a y , was m a r k e t i n g
d i r e c t o r f o r A m e r i t e l , a l o n g - d i s t a n c e phone company based i n Napa, C a l i f .
"He was ... v e r y t a l e n t e d , a master o f desktop p u b l i s h i n g , " g e n e r a l p a r t n e r
Sam Medina s a i d . "He took (our company) from t h e dark ages i n p u b l i c r e l a t i o n s
t o t h e 21st c e n t u r y . And he d i d i t a l l v e r y c a l m l y . "
was
Colleagues s a i d t h e 3 8 - y e a r - o l d Graham, who j o i n e d 45-person company i n 1992,
a q u i e t , capable worker.
"He was a v e r y sweet man, w i t h a v e r y d r y , q u i r k y sense o f humor. He was a l s o
q u i e t , so h i s j o k e s were k i n d of sneak a t t a c k s , " s a i d p e r s o n n e l manager Beth
Mallon.
Pamela Cobb McPherson was f a m i l i a r w i t h t h e New Y o r k - P a r i s r o u t e . She had
worked t h e f l i g h t hundreds o f times d u r i n g her 24 years as a TWA f l i g h t
a t t e n d a n t , her mother s a i d .
Adele Cobb s a i d F r i d a y her daughter wasn't i n t i m i d a t e d by t h e t h r e a t o f
t e r r o r i s m o r a deadly a c c i d e n t .
"As many times as t h e r e have been crashes b e f o r e , I never heard her
any k i n d of f e a r , " Mrs. Cobb s a i d from her home i n A t l a n t a .
express
McPherson, 43, l i v e d i n New York C i t y w i t h her husband, David, and t h e i r
1 1 - y e a r - o l d daughter, Samanthia. She spoke f l u e n t Spanish and had planned t o
become an i n t e r p r e t e r f o r TWA, Mrs. Cobb s a i d .
Her death was t h e f a m i l y ' s second sudden t r a g e d y .
" e l o s t a son 20 years ago. He was a r o b b e r y v i c t i m a t s c h o o l . ... T h i s i s
W
j u s t l i f e , " Mrs. Cobb s a i d . " I have not asked 'Why?' U n t i l t h e y prove d i f f e r e n t ,
i t was an a c c i d e n t . "
Robert M i l l e r and h i s w i f e , B e t t y , were drawn t o France by t h e v i n e y a r d s o f
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Burgundy.
M i l l e r , t h e borough a d m i n i s t r a t o r i n T e n a f l y , N.J., and h i s w i f e , a t e a c h e r ,
were honored a t an impromptu memorial Thursday a t Borough H a l l .
"He w i l l be remembered f o r h i s w o n d e r f u l p e r s o n a l i t y , h i s sense o f humor, h i s
kindness and h i s u n d e r s t a n d i n g , " s a i d Mayor Ann Moscovitz.
She
s a i d h e r coworker had been p l a n n i n g t h e t r i p f o r a l o n g t i m e .
"One o f h i s hobbies i s wine ... so p a r t o f t h i s t r i p was t o go t o Burgundy,
see t h e l o v e l y v i n e y a r d s , take photographs, do wine t a s t i n g , " Moscovitz s a i d .
"He wanted t o go w h i l e he was young enough t o s t i l l e n j o y i t . "
For Judy Sorenson, t h e news t h a t h e r husband Rod Foster had been k i l l e d on
F l i g h t 800 was h a u n t i n g l y f a m i l i a r .
Her f i r s t husband d i e d i n a plane crash i n 1981.
"I'm g o i n g t o miss him,"
Sorenson s a i d . " e had a r e a l l o v e s t o r y . "
W
Sorenson s a i d she doesn't t h i n k s h e ' l l ever g e t on a plane a g a i n .
"Right now, i n my h e a r t and my g u t , I don't want t o ever f l y . "
The l a s t t i m e F o s t e r ' s s i s t e r G a i l White t a l k e d t o him, he ended t h e i r phone
c o n v e r s a t i o n t h e way he always d i d , w i t h t h e words, " I l o v e you."
White spoke t o F o s t e r , 6 1 , the morning o f t h e f a t a l f l i g h t .
t o France t o p i c k up a new c o r p o r a t e j e t f o r h i s company.
He was on h i s way
The Sherman, Conn., man was a r e t i r e d Navy f l y e r and c h i e f p i l o t and
o p e r a t i o n s o f f i c e r f o r Dassault Falcon J e t Co.
"He was a v e r y c a r i n g person, and he wasn't a f r a i d t o show he cared," s a i d
White, who w i t h h e r husband and s e v e r a l o f t h e i r c h i l d r e n have gone t o
C o n n e c t i c u t t o be w i t h Sorenson.
Larkyn Dwyer c o u l d n ' t w a i t t o see t h e E i f f e l Tower. The 1 1 - y e a r - o l d
about i t c o n s t a n t l y .
who
talked
F r i e n d s on F r i d a y d e s c r i b e d the New R i v e r , A r i z . , g i r l as an exuberant
l o v e d horses and was p o s i t i v e l y f e a r l e s s .
child,
"There was no h o l d i n g h e r down. Every time I saw h e r i t was, 'I'm g o i n g t o
France. I'm g o i n g t o France,"' s a i d Tracy M i e s t , whose 1 0 - y e a r - o l d daughter grew
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up w i t h Larkyn.
M i e s t s a i d Larkyn l o v e d t o r i d e horses. Her f i r s t horse, Red, was g i v e n t o
her by t h e grandmother. R e c e n t l y , Dwyer's p a r e n t s bought h e r another horse named
Scottie.
" ( I ' l l miss) t h a t Larkyn won't be here t o p l a y w i t h me anymore. I f e e l bad
f o r h e r horses, because t h e y ' l l never see h e r a g a i n , " s a i d M e i s t ' s 1 0 - y e a r - o l d
daughter, Bronwynn.
The M i e s t s were c a r i n g f o r t h e horses w h i l e t h e Dwyer f a m i l y v i s i t e d
r e l a t i v e s i n New York and p u t Larkyn on t h e plane t o France. Bronwynn s a i d
Larkyn was g o i n g t o meet up w i t h f r i e n d s i n P a r i s , who were s t a y i n g w i t h
relatives.
"She was e x c i t e d and she r e a l l y wanted t o have h e r b i r t h d a y ( i n August) under
the E i f f e l Tower. I t was i m p o r t a n t . She t h i n k s t h e E i f f e l Tower i s r e a l l y n e a t , "
Bronwynn s a i d .
Brent Richey, 26, and h i s f i a n c e e , Seana Anderson, 27, were on t h e i r way t o
I t a l y , where t h e y planned t o marry and e n j o y t h e i r honeymoon.
Richey had one year l e f t a t Loyola Law School. "Brent was an o u t s t a n d i n g
s t u d e n t and as a f u t u r e member o f t h e b a r would have made us a l l proud," s a i d
Loyola spokeswoman E l o i s e T e k l u .
E n g l i s h t e a c h e r L o i s Van Epps had a way o f m o t i v a t i n g people.
Van Epps, 56, who l i v e d i n New York C i t y , was aboard F l i g h t 800 on h e r way t o
v i s i t friends i n Paris.
She had t a u g h t a t Edgemont High School f o r about 25 y e a r s . Before t h a t , she
t a u g h t drama and E n g l i s h a t Morton East High School i n C i c e r o , 111.
One o f h e r s t u d e n t s a t Morton was Joe Mantegna.
I n 1964, when he was a j u n i o r , she saw him p e r f o r m i n a r o c k - a n d - r o l l band.
Impressed, she l u r e d him t o t h e drama department and d i r e c t e d him i n h i s f i r s t
play.
"She was t h e f i r s t d i r e c t o r I had," t h e stage and f i l m a c t o r t o l d The New
York Times. "She was a b s o l u t e l y i n s t r u m e n t a l and v i t a l t o me i n b e i n g t h e
p e r f o r m e r I am today."
L a u r i e Robbins remembers h e r aunt, E l a i n e L o f f r e d o , t r y i n g t o convince h e r
t h a t f l y i n g was n o t h i n g t o g e t nervous about.
L o f f r e d o , 50, o f G l a s t o n b u r y , Conn., was a v e t e r a n f l i g h t a t t e n d a n t who had
worked f o r TWA s i n c e 1969.
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"She s a i d , 'Look a t me. I've been f l y i n g f o r 25 years and n o t h i n g ' s happened
t o me,"' Robbins s a i d .
When she f i r s t heard about t h e c r a s h o f F l i g h t 800, Robbins was n o t concerned
because she t h o u g h t h e r aunt was on a f l i g h t t o Rome.
But l a t e r , word came t h a t L o f f r e d o had g o t t e n on F l i g h t 800 a f t e r h e r f l i g h t
t o Rome was canceled. L o f f r e d o was one o f 14 f l i g h t a t t e n d a n t s k i l l e d i n t h e
crash.
A d e n t i s t w o r k i n g w i t h medical examiners t o i d e n t i f y v i c t i m s o f TWA F l i g h t
800 had t h e m i s f o r t u n e o f f i n d i n g a f r i e n d ' s body among those he was c h e c k i n g a t
the morgue, t h e New York D a i l y News r e p o r t s today.
"He saw t h e f a c e and n o t i c e d i t was someone he new," S u f f o l k Country M e d i c a l
Examiner Dr. Charles W e t l i s a i d . He wouldn't i d e n t i f y t h e v i c t i m o r t h e d e n t i s t .
" I t ' s never a p l e a s a n t e x p e r i e n c e , " W e t l i added.
The f r i e n d was one o f f i v e bodies o f about 100 t h a t were found t h a t have been
p o s i t i v e l y i d e n t i f i e d , t h e News s a i d . I n a l l 16 v i c t i m s have been t e n t a t i v e l y
i d e n t i f i e d , t h e newspaper s a i d .
When J o e l Robin had t o change h i s Wednesday n i g h t f l i g h t t o P a r i s , he was n o t
t o o p l e a s e d . But Thursday, t h e P i t t s f o r d , V t . , man was t a k i n g a d i f f e r e n t view
of t h e matter.
A l a s t - m i n u t e change o f p l a n s k e p t him o f f TWA F l i g h t 800, which crashed i n t o
the waters o f f Long I s l a n d .
"He s a i d he was never so scared i n h i s whole l i f e , "
Robin.
said h i s wife, Bernadette
Margot K r i k h a n l e f t h e r n a t i v e Germany more t h a n 30 years ago, and whenever
she r e t u r n e d home, she made i t a p o i n t t o t r a v e l on t h e German a i r l i n e
Lufthansa.
But t h i s s p r i n g , when t h e B r o o k f i e l d , Conn., woman planned a t r i p t o France,
A u s t r i a and Germany, K r i k h a n decided t o f l y TWA.
Her t r a v e l i n g companion, Marie E l l i s o n , o f Mount Vernon, N.Y., was r a i s e d i n
France, and t h e two women decided t h a t P a r i s would be t h e f i r s t s t o p on t h e i r
three-week getaway.
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Both women were k i l l e d on F l i g h t 800 t o P a r i s Wednesday.
"This was t h e f i r s t t i m e she took another a i r l i n e and t h e f i r s t t i m e she was
g o i n g t o l a n d i n P a r i s i n s t e a d o f g o i n g t o Germany," s a i d h e r f a t h e r - i n - l a w ,
Paul K r i k h a n .
Ramona Jones was a r e t i r e d H a r t f o r d H o s p i t a l nurse who l o v e d t o t r a v e l and
spend t i m e w i t h h e r g r a n d c h i l d r e n .
The 6 4 - y e a r - o l d from West H a r t f o r d , Conn., was t r a v e l i n g t o P a r i s t o v a c a t i o n
w i t h h e r son. She was a widow w i t h s i x g r a n d c h i l d r e n .
"She was v e r y c a r i n g , always w o r k i n g t o g i v e h e r time, always w i l l i n g t o
t e a c h i n any way she p o s s i b l y c o u l d , " s a i d h e r son, Robert Jones.
A d e n t i s t w o r k i n g w i t h m e d i c a l examiners t o i d e n t i f y v i c t i m s o f TWA F l i g h t
800 had t h e m i s f o r t u n e o f f i n d i n g a f r i e n d ' s body among those he was c h e c k i n g a t
the morgue, a c c o r d i n g t o newspaper r e p o r t s .
"He saw t h e face and n o t i c e d i t was someone he knew," S u f f o l k Country M e d i c a l
Examiner Dr. Charles W e t l i t o l d t h e New York D a i l y News. " I t ' s never a p l e a s a n t
experience."
The New York Post s a i d Dr. S t u a r t Novins s a i d he knew he might have t o
i d e n t i f y h i s f r i e n d , Dr. E r i c H o i s t , 32, when he went t o t h e S u f f o l k County
morgue as p a r t o f t h e f o r e n s i c s team.
S h e i l a Novins s a i d h e r husband was prepared.
"He's been t h r o u g h good t r a i n i n g , " she t o l d t h e Post.
H o i s t , a Long I s l a n d d e n t i s t , was aboard F l i g h t 800 w i t h h i s w i f e V i r g i n i a .
H o i s t was one o f f i v e bodies o f about 100 t h a t were found t h a t have been
p o s i t i v e l y i d e n t i f i e d , t h e News s a i d . I n a l l 16 v i c t i m s have been t e n t a t i v e l y
i d e n t i f i e d , t h e newspaper s a i d .
A d e n t i s t w o r k i n g w i t h medical examiners t o i d e n t i f y v i c t i m s o f TWA F l i g h t
800 had t h e m i s f o r t u n e o f f i n d i n g a f r i e n d ' s body among those he was c h e c k i n g a t
the morgue, t h e New York D a i l y News r e p o r t s today.
"He saw t h e face and n o t i c e d i t was someone he new," S u f f o l k Country M e d i c a l
Examiner Dr. Charles W e t l i s a i d . He wouldn't i d e n t i f y t h e v i c t i m o r t h e d e n t i s t .
"It's
never a p l e a s a n t e x p e r i e n c e , " W e t l i added.
The f r i e n d was one o f f i v e bodies o f about 100 t h a t were found t h a t have been
p o s i t i v e l y i d e n t i f i e d , t h e News s a i d . I n a l l 16 v i c t i m s have been t e n t a t i v e l y
i d e n t i f i e d , t h e newspaper s a i d .
�Page 15
The Associated Press, July 20, 1996
When J o e l Robin had t o change h i s Wednesday n i g h t f l i g h t t o P a r i s , he was n o t
t o o p l e a s e d . But Thursday, t h e P i t t s f o r d , V t . , man was t a k i n g a d i f f e r e n t view
of the matter.
A l a s t - m i n u t e change o f p l a n s kept him o f f TWA F l i g h t 800, which crashed i n t o
the waters o f f Long I s l a n d .
"He s a i d he was never so scared i n h i s whole l i f e , " s a i d h i s w i f e , B e r n a d e t t e
Robin.
Margot K r i k h a n l e f t her n a t i v e Germany more t h a n 3 0 years ago, and whenever
she r e t u r n e d home, she made i t a p o i n t t o t r a v e l on t h e German a i r l i n e
Lufthansa.
But t h i s s p r i n g , when t h e B r o o k f i e l d , Conn., woman planned a t r i p
A u s t r i a and Germany, K r i k h a n decided t o f l y TWA.
t o France,
Her t r a v e l i n g companion, Marie E l l i s o n , o f Mount Vernon, N.Y., was r a i s e d i n
France, and t h e two women decided t h a t P a r i s would be t h e f i r s t s t o p on t h e i r
three-week getaway.
Both women were k i l l e d on F l i g h t 800 t o P a r i s Wednesday.
"This was t h e f i r s t time she took another a i r l i n e and t h e f i r s t t i m e she was
g o i n g t o l a n d i n P a r i s i n s t e a d o f g o i n g t o Germany," s a i d her f a t h e r - i n - l a w ,
Paul K r i k h a n .
Ramona Jones was a r e t i r e d H a r t f o r d H o s p i t a l nurse who l o v e d t o t r a v e l and
spend t i m e w i t h h e r g r a n d c h i l d r e n .
The 6 4 - y e a r - o l d from West H a r t f o r d , Conn., was t r a v e l i n g t o P a r i s t o v a c a t i o n
w i t h h e r son. She was a widow w i t h s i x g r a n d c h i l d r e n .
"She was v e r y c a r i n g , always w o r k i n g t o g i v e her time, always w i l l i n g t o
t e a c h i n any way she p o s s i b l y c o u l d , " s a i d her son, Robert Jones.
A d e n t i s t w o r k i n g w i t h medical examiners t o i d e n t i f y v i c t i m s o f TWA F l i g h t
800 had t h e m i s f o r t u n e o f f i n d i n g a f r i e n d ' s body among those he was c h e c k i n g a t
the morgue, a c c o r d i n g t o newspaper r e p o r t s .
"He saw t h e f a c e and n o t i c e d i t was someone he knew," S u f f o l k Country M e d i c a l
Examiner Dr. Charles W e t l i t o l d t h e New York D a i l y News. " I t ' s never a p l e a s a n t
experience."
The New York Post s a i d Dr. S t u a r t Novins s a i d he knew he might have t o
i d e n t i f y h i s f r i e n d , Dr. E r i c H o i s t , 32, when he went t o t h e S u f f o l k County
�Page 16
The Associated Press, July 20, 1996
morgue as p a r t o f t h e f o r e n s i c s team.
S h e i l a Novins s a i d h e r husband was prepared.
"He's been t h r o u g h good t r a i n i n g , " she t o l d t h e Post.
H o i s t , a Long I s l a n d d e n t i s t , was aboard F l i g h t 800 w i t h h i s w i f e V i r g i n i a .
H o i s t was one o f f i v e bodies o f about 100 t h a t were found t h a t have been
p o s i t i v e l y i d e n t i f i e d , t h e News s a i d . I n a l l 16 v i c t i m s have been t e n t a t i v e l y
i d e n t i f i e d , t h e newspaper s a i d .
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH
LOAD-DATE: J u l y 20, 1996
�Page 17
LEVEL 1 - 8 6 OF 361 STORIES
C o p y r i g h t 1996 The A t l a n t a C o n s t i t u t i o n
The A t l a n t a J o u r n a l and C o n s t i t u t i o n
J u l y 20, 1996, Saturday,
ALL EDITIONS
SECTION: NATIONAL NEWS; Pg. 06A
LENGTH: 10 57 words
HEADLINE: CRASH OF TWA FLIGHT 800;
THE VICTIMS;
Young and o l d , passengers came from a l l walks
BYLINE: From o u r news s e r v i c e s
BODY:
A g u i t a r p l a y e r from France who had been i n N a s h v i l l e t o r e c e i v e a s t a r a t
the Country Music H a l l o f Fame was aboard F l i g h t 800.
Marcel Dadi was r e t u r n i n g home t o France. He had been a f r i e n d o f Country
Music H a l l o f Fame member Chet A t k i n s f o r many years.
Dadi h e l p e d spread A t k i n s ' s t y l e o f g u i t a r across Europe. A t k i n s served as
best man a t Dadi's wedding and t h e two p l a y e d t o g e t h e r s e v e r a l times a t The
Olympia i n P a r i s . Dadi performed once a t t h e Grand Ole Opry.
"He was one o f my d e a r e s t f r i e n d s , " A t k i n s s a i d .
"Marcel Dadi was a g r e a t ambassador o f c o u n t r y g u i t a r - p l a y i n g , and t h e
a r t i s t r y o f t h e Chet A t k i n s s t y l e , " s a i d B i l l I v e y , e x e c u t i v e d i r e c t o r o f t h e
Country Music Foundation.
Dadi v i s i t e d N a s h v i l l e J u l y 11 t o g e t a s t a r a t t h e H a l l o f Fame. He a l s o
a t t e n d e d t h e N a t i o n a l A s s o c i a t i o n o f Music Merchants c o n v e n t i o n and a meeting o f
the A t k i n s A p p r e c i a t i o n S o c i e t y .
Matt
Alexander
A Wake F o r e s t s t u d e n t ' s dreams o f a year abroad were dashed by t h e TWA
tragedy.
Matt Alexander, 20, o f Florence, S.C., had completed h i s j u n i o r year, and was
g o i n g t o D i j o n , France, t h i s f a l l t o study i n an overseas program b u t l e f t f o r
the c o u n t r y a l i t t l e e a r l y , Wake Forest spokesman Wayne Thompson s a i d .
"Hearing about t h e plane c r a s h l a s t n i g h t was shocking enough, b u t t o hear
t h i s morning t h a t a young man, who was v e r y s p e c i a l , was on t h e p l a n e , was h a r d
t o understand," s a i d Byron Wells, a French p r o f e s s o r a t Wake F o r e s t .
The Rev. B i l l Monroe s a i d Alexander
t r i p before s t a r t i n g school.
was headed t o France f o r a m i s s i o n a r y
�Page 18
The Atlanta Journal, July 20,
1996
"He was j u s t a v e r y f i n e young man," Monroe s a i d .
Charles Gray
A wrong t u r n proved d e a d l y f o r an insurance e x e c u t i v e from Memphis.
Charles H. "Hank" Gray I I I ended up on doomed TWA F l i g h t 800 when he missed
an e a r l i e r f l i g h t t o P a r i s a f t e r h i s d r i v e r took a wrong t u r n on t h e i n t e r s t a t e .
to
Gray caught t h e f l i g h t a t Kennedy I n t e r n a t i o n a l A i r p o r t f o r a business
Paris.
trip
Gray, 47, p r e s i d e n t and c h i e f o p e r a t i n g o f f i c e r o f M i d l a n d F i n a n c i a l Group
Inc., had planned t o f l y from C o n n e c t i c u t t o Washington and c a t c h a f l i g h t t o
P a r i s from t h e r e , s a i d Elena Barham, Midland's c h i e f f i n a n c i a l o f f i c e r .
"They were s h o r t on t i m e anyway and t h e n t h e d r i v e r took a wrong t u r n on t h e
i n t e r s t a t e , " she s a i d . "They . . . missed the H a r t f o r d f l i g h t and r e t u r n e d t o
JFK. "
Dan Gabor
his
A former t r a c k s t a n d o u t from the U n i v e r s i t y o f Arkansas had planned t o meet
g i r l f r i e n d i n P a r i s , t h e n accompany her t o a f r i e n d ' s wedding i n England.
On Thursday, f r i e n d s and neighbors o f Dan Gabor i n Pleasanton,
mourned h i s death aboard the 74 7 j e t l i n e r .
Calif.,
"Danny was a v e r y b r i g h t k i d who c o u l d go i n t o a c l a s s a f t e r m i s s i n g a week
of s c h o o l and ace a t e s t , " s a i d C y r i l Bonanno, former p r i n c i p a l f o r t h e
Pleasanton U n i f i e d School D i s t r i c t . "He was s o f t - s p o k e n , b u t people r e a l l y
f o l l o w e d Danny because o f h i s g i f t as a runner and a t h l e t e . "
The 2 7 - y e a r - o l d m i d d l e - d i s t a n c e runner earned a s c h o l a r s h i p t o Arkansas, won
t h r e e l e t t e r s and was p a r t o f teams t h a t won t h r e e n a t i o n a l i n d o o r t i t l e s and
two o u t d o o r championships.
" I t i s h a r d t o b e l i e v e he i s gone," Razorbacks t r a c k coach John McDonnell
s a i d . " I t i s a h o r r i b l e l o s s . Dan was a w o n d e r f u l young man."
Michel B r e i s t r o f f
M i c h e l B r e i s t r o f f , a r e c e n t Harvard graduate who p l a y e d hockey f o r t h e French
n a t i o n a l team, hoped t o r e c a p t u r e h i s l o s t chance t o p l a y i n t h e Olympics f o r
h i s homeland.
B r e i s t r o f f , 25, f r a c t u r e d h i s s k u l l and c u t h i s b i c e p s i n p r e p a r i n g f o r t h e
1994 Olympic games i n Lillehammer, Norway, n a r r o w l y m i s s i n g o u t on p l a y i n g f o r
France.
But he hoped t o p l a y i n the 1998 Winter Olympics i n Nagano, Japan. On
Wednesday, he was r e t u r n i n g t o France t o p l a y pre-season games w i t h t h e French
n a t i o n a l team.
B r e i s t r o f f g r a d u a t e d from Harvard College t h i s year w i t h an a n t h r o p o l o g y
degree. He a l s o p l a y e d hockey f o r Harvard, f i n i s h i n g h i s Crimson c a r e e r w i t h
f o u r g o a l s and 16 a s s i s t s i n 95 games.
�Page 19
The Atlanta Journal, July 20,
1996
"This i s a v e r y sad t i m e , " s a i d Ronn Tomassoni, Harvard's hockey coach.
"Michel was an o u t s t a n d i n g young man who touched t h e h e a r t s o f many people a t
Harvard. He was an u n s e l f i s h p l a y e r who would do a n y t h i n g t o h e l p h i s team."
Anna Maria S h o r t e r
Saxophone p l a y e r Wayne S h o r t e r ' s w i f e , Anna Maria S h o r t e r , and 17- y e a r - o l d
n i e c e , D a l i l a L u c i e n , were f l y i n g t o meet him w h i l e he i s on a European t o u r .
" I t ' s a sad day f o r a l l of us," s a i d Sal H a r i e s , p r e s i d e n t of Blue Note
I n t e r n a t i o n a l , which owns s e v e r a l j a z z c l u b s . S h o r t e r , he s a i d , was scheduled
p e r f o r m a t Blue Note c l u b s i n Japan i n August.
He s a i d those p l a n s were on h o l d
his
Mrs. S h o r t e r , H a r i e s s a i d , was
manager.
now.
not o n l y t h e saxophone p l a y e r ' s w i f e b u t a l s o
"She was always t h e r e t o guide him,"
Sandy H a z e l t o n
A t r i p t o P a r i s was
K a t r i n a M. Rose.
he s a i d .
Sandy Hazelton's
c o l l e g e g r a d u a t i o n g i f t t o her
The p a i r from t h e C l e v e l a n d area p e r i s h e d when F l i g h t 800 exploded
after takeoff.
daughter,
shortly
Rose, a s e c r e t a r y a t Case Western Reserve U n i v e r s i t y , had j u s t g r a d u a t e d
Lakeland Community C o l l e g e , s a i d Case Western spokesman Toni F e r r a n t e .
A p r o f e s s o r who
to
from
knew Rose s a i d she had a zest f o r l i f e .
" A f t e r I heard she had been on the way t o France, I c o u l d e n v i s i o n her
s i t t i n g i n P a r i s i n t h e sunshine," s a i d Brent DeMars, an a s s o c i a t e p r o f e s s o r a t
the c o l l e g e .
H a z e l t o n was a French teacher a t Orange High School,
P r e s i d e n t David Noble s a i d her work was o u t s t a n d i n g .
and Orange s c h o o l
"She was one o f t h e most f r i e n d l y , e n t h u s i a s t i c and happy people I ever
Noble s a i d .
board
met,"
Donald Gough
A r e t i r e d TWA
p i l o t and h i s w i f e - a former stewardess h e r s e l f - p e r i s h e d .
Donald Gough and Ana
neighbor John Rogers.
Leim o f M i l l V a l l e y , C a l i f . , t r a v e l e d f r e q u e n t l y , s a i d
" I s a i d , 'God, no,' when I heard t h e news. I t h i t me l i k e a t o n , " s a i d
Rogers. " I was so d i s t r a u g h t watching t h i s t h i n g on TV l a s t n i g h t - t h e n a l l o f
a sudden t o have i t be t h e guy across the s t r e e t . Hard t o b e l i e v e . "
�Page 20
The Atlanta Journal, July 20, 1996
When Gough was a t home, h i s l o v e s were m o t o r c y c l e s and h i s dog, S p o r t , Rogers
said.
"The dog was perhaps t h e t h i n g t h a t brought us t o g e t h e r ; Sport always used my
lawn as a bathroom," Rogers r e c a l l e d , l a u g h i n g . " I t wasn't a problem. (Ana)
was j u s t a l o v e l y , l o v e l y l a d y , and he was a neat guy. Very handy guy, good
neighbor, always q u i c k w i t h a j o k e . "
GRAPHIC: Photo: R e l a t i v e s o f people who d i e d i n t h e e x p l o s i o n o f F l i g h t 800
c o m f o r t one a n o t h e r a t t h e Ramada Plaza H o t e l near Kennedy I n t e r n a t i o n a l
A i r p o r t . S o t i r i a C a l l a s ( r i g h t ) , mother o f c r a s h v i c t i m D a n i e l C a l l a s , a
TWA f l i g h t a t t e n d a n t , i s supported F r i d a y by h e r daughter Joann. No
s u r v i v o r s have been found i n rescue e f f o r t s . / SUSAN WATTS / K n i g h t Ridder T r i b u n e
Photo: Judy T e l l e r ( l e f t ) and Joy Smith, s i s t e r s - i n - l a w o f v i c t i m Pam
Lychner o f Texas, embrace F r i d a y o u t s i d e t h e Ramada Plaza H o t e l . / WALLY
SANTANA / A s s o c i a t e d Press
Chart: CREW AND PASSENGERS
-CREW MEMBERS:
- C a l l a s , Dan J., 22, P h i l a d e l p h i a
-Campbell, R i c h a r d , R i d g e f i e l d , Conn., f l i g h t engineer
-Charbonnier, Jacques, 66, H u n t i n g t o n S t a t i o n , N.Y.
-Charbonnier, Constance, 49, H u n t i n g t o n S t a t i o n , N.Y.
- C h r i s t o p h e r , Janet, 48, Stamford H e i g h t s , Pa.
- D i L u c c i o , Debra C o l l i n s , 47, A g r o p o l i , I t a l y
-Johnsen, A r l e n e E., 60, Grand J u n c t i o n , Colo., owned a bed-andb r e a k f a s t . -Kevorkian, Ralph, 58, Garden Grove, C a l i f . , c a p t a i n
- K r i c k , O l i v e r , 25, S t . L o u i s , f l i g h t engineer
-Lang, Ray, 5 1 , N o r t h Massapequa, N.Y.
- L o c k h a r t , Maureen, 49, Kansas C i t y , Mo.
-Meade, Sandra, 42, Camano I s l a n d , Wash.
- M e l o t i n , Grace, 48, Corona, N.Y.
-Rhoads, M a r i t E., 48, B e l l e v i l l e , Wash.
- S c h u l d t , Mike, 5 1 , S a f e t y Harbor, F l a .
-Snyder, Steve, S t r a t f o r d , Conn., c a p t a i n
-Torche, Melinda, 47, I r v i n e , C a l i f .
-Ziemkiewicz, J i l l , 24, R u t h e r f o r d , N.J.
-PASSENGERS:
-Aikens-Bellamy, Sandra, 49, New York C i t y , o f f - d u t y TWA employee
-Aikey, J e s s i c a , s t u d e n t from M o n t o u r s v i l l e , Pa.
-Alex, C h r i s t i a n
-Alexander, Matthew, 20, F l o r e n c e , S.C., s t u d e n t a t Wake F o r e s t
U n i v e r s i t y , Winston-Salem, N.C, t r a v e l i n g t o D i j o n , France, t o s t u d y
- A l l e n , Lamar, o f M a r i e t t a , Ga. ( f a t h e r o f Ashton A l l e n ) .
- A l l e n , Ashton, 15, o f M a r i e t t a , Ga., Lamar A l l e n ' s son
-Amlund, Svein
-Anderson, Jay Edward, 49, Warson Woods, Mo., f i n a n c i a l p l a n n e r f o r
A l l m e r i c a -Anderson, P a t r i c i a , 42, Warson Woods, Mo., ( m a r r i e d t o Jay
Edward Anderson) -Anderson, Seana
-Babb, David, 13, V o l a n t , Pa., (nephew o f C l a r a and Namik Ersoz)
-Baszczewski, D a n i e l , s t u d e n t from M o n t o u r s v i l l e , Pa.
- B e a t t y , Charles
-Becker, M i c h e l l e , f o r m e r l y o f Macon, Ga.
- B e l l a z o u g , Myriam, 30, a r c h i t e c t , New York C i t y
�Page 21
The Atlanta Journal, July 20, 1996
-Benjamin, A r t h u r , P h i l a d e l p h i a
-Benjamin, Joan
-Berthe, L i n e
-Berthe, Maurice
-Bluestone, N i c o l a s .
- B o h l i n , M i c h e l l e , s t u d e n t from M o n t o u r s v i l l e , Pa.
-Bossuyt, Luc
-Bouhs, Leonie
-Bower, Jordon, s t u d e n t from M o n t o u r s v i l l e , Pa.
-Braman, Rosie, 47, Hoboken, N.J., o f f - d u t y TWA employee
- B r e s t o f f , M i c h e l , French hockey p l a y e r who graduated from Harvard
U n i v e r s i t y i n 1995
-Brooks, Edwin, 8 1 , Edgartown, Mass., former e x e c u t i v e v i c e p r e s i d e n t o f
Taco I n d u s t r i e s , husband o f Ruth Brooks
-Brooks, Ruth, 79, Edgartown, Mass.
- B u t t a r o n i , M i r k o , 26, bank employee, ( m a r r i e d t o Monica O m i c c i o l i ) ,
Fano, I t a l y
- C a i l l a u d , Anthony
-Caillaud, Daniel
-Carven, Jay, 9, B e l A i r , Md., (son o f Paula Carven)
-Carven, Paula, B e l A i r , Md., o f f - d u t y TWA f l i g h t a t t e n d a n t
- C a y r o l , Jacques
- C h a i l l o u , Jenny
-Chanson, Ludovic, 12, Garancieres, France, exchange s t u d e n t r e t u r n i n g t o
family
-Chemtob, Monique
-Coiner, Constance, 48, Binghamton, N.Y., (Anna Duarte Coiner's mother)
-Coiner, Anna Duarte, 12, Binghamton, N.Y.
-Cox, Monica
- C r a n d e l l , Pamela, 28, a f i r s t - g r a d e t e a c h e r , Anne Arundel County, Md.
-Creamades, D a n i e l
-Dadi, M a r c e l , 46, French m u s i c i a n who helped spread Chet A t k i n s ' s t y l e
of g u i t a r - p l a y i n g across Europe and was r e t u r n i n g home a f t e r b e i n g
honored a t Country Music H a l l o f Fame i n N a s h v i l l e .
-Dalessandro, Anna, Palo d e l C o l l e , I t a l y , ( m a r r i e d t o Giuseppe M e r c u r i c )
-Darley, F r a n c o i s
-Deboisredon, Cybele
-Delange, S y l v a i n
- D e l o u v r i e r , J u d i t h , 47, a p h i l a n t h r o p i s t who was a t r u s t e e o f h e r
f a m i l y ' s P h i l a d e l p h i a - b a s e d C o n n e l l y Foundation, o f Manhattan.
-Dhuimieres, Dominiques
-Dickey, Deborah, a French t e a c h e r , M o n t o u r s v i l l e , Pa., ( m a r r i e d t o
Douglas Dickey)
-Dickey, Douglas, M o n t o u r s v i l l e , Pa.
- D ' l o r i o , C h r i s t i n e B a i l y , P r a t o , I t a l y , mother o f f o u r , w a i t r e s s ,
(married t o P i e t r o D ' l o r i o )
- D ' l o r i o , P i e t r o , Prato, I t a l y , w a i t e r
- Dodge, Warren, 50, Brentwood, N.H., o f f - d u t y TWA employee
-Dupont, Guy
-Dwyer, Larkyn, 12, o f New R i v e r , A r i z , was en r o u t e alone t o v i s i t
r e l a t i v e s i n Paris.
-Edwards, D a r y l , 4 1 , J e r s e y C i t y , N.J., o f f - c u t y TWA s e r v i c e s u p e r v i s o r
- E l l i s o n , Marie
-Ersoz, C l a r a , 59, P i t t s b u r g h , a n e s t h e s i o l o g i s t ( m a r r i e d t o Namik Ersoz,
�Page 22
The Atlanta Journal, July 20,
1996
aunt o f David Babb)
-Ersoz, Namik, P i t t s b u r g h , a n e s t h e s i o l o g i s t
-Eshleman, D.A.,
35, Aurora, Colo., o f f - d u t y TWA f l i g h t engineer
- E s t i v a l , Alexandre
-Feeney, D e i r d r e , U.S. r e s i d e n t v i s i t i n g f a m i l y i n K i l m o r e , I r e l a n d ,
(daughter o f Vera Feeney)
-Feeney, Vera
- F e r r a t , (no f i r s t name)
- F o s t e r , Rod
-Foulon, D i d i e r
-Fry,
C a r o l , former s c h o o l board member, M o n t o u r s v i l l e , Pa.
-Furlano, R o s a r i a
-Gabor, D a n i e l , 27, F a y e t t e v i l l e , Ark., and Walnut Creek, C a l i f . , m i d d l e d i s t a n c e runner f o r U n i v e r s i t y o f Arkansas
-Gaetke, D a n i e l , Kansas C i t y , Mo., ( m a r r i e d t o Stephanie Gaetke)
-Gaetke, Stephanie, Kansas C i t y , Mo.
- G a l l a g h e r , C l a i r e , s t u d e n t from M o n t o u r s v i l l e , Pa.
-Galland, Jean Paul
-Gasq, C.
-Unnamed passenger f l y i n g w i t h C. Gasq
-Gough, Donald, M i l l V a l l e y , C a l i f . , o f f - d u t y TWA p i l o t , ( m a r r i e d t o Ana
Leim) -Graham, Steven, Napa, C a l i f . , m a r k e t i n g d i r e c t o r f o r t h e l o n g d i s t a n c e phone company A m e r i t e l
-Gray, Charles Hank, 47, Memphis, p r e s i d e n t and c h i e f o p e r a t i n g o f f i c e r
of M i d l a n d F i n a n c i a l Group I n c .
-Greene, Renee
- G r i f f i t h , Donna
- G r i f f i t h , Joanne, 39, New York C i t y , o f f - d u t y TWA employee
-Grimm, J u l i a , s t u d e n t from M o n t o u r s v i l l e , Pa.
-Grivet, C y r i l
- G u s t i n , Anne
-Hammer, B e v e r l y , Long I s l a n d , N.Y.,
(mother o f Tracy Hammer)
-Hammer, Tracy, Long I s l a n d , graduate s t u d e n t i n m i c r o b i o l o g y and
v e t e r i n a r y medicine a t Michigan S t a t e U n i v e r s i t y
- Hansen, Lars Groenbakken
-Harkness, E r i c , 23, Birchwood, Ohio, o f f - d u t y TWA employee
- H a r r i s , Lawrence
-Haurani, Dr. Ghassan, Grosse P o i n t e Shores, Mich., ( m a r r i e d t o Nina
Haurani) -Haurani, Nina, Grosse P o i n t e Shores, Mich., mother o f f o u r i n
t h e i r teens and e a r l y 20s.
-Hazelton, Sandra
- H e t t l e r , Ranee, s t u d e n t from M o n t o u r s v i l l e , Pa.
- H i l l , Susan, P o r t l a n d , Ore., p o l i c e d e t e c t i v e
-Hocharo, J e a n p i e r r e
-Hogan, David, o f P a r i s , a V i r g i n i a - b o r n composer who s t u d i e d a t t h e
Peabody I n s t i t u t e i n B a l t i m o r e .
-Hoist, V i r g i n i a
-Hoist, Eric
- H u l l , James, 48, Southampton, Pa., o f f - d u t y TWA employee
-Kurd, James I I I , manager o f a f a m i l y a u t o m o t i v e shop i n Glen B u r n i e , Md.
- I n g e n h u e t t , Lonnie, 43, S c o t t s d a l e , A r i z . , o f f - d u t y TWA employee
-Jacquemot, B e n o i t
-Jensen, Susanne
-Johns, Courtney, 18, C l a r k s t o n , Mich., r e c e n t graduate o f Marian High
�Page 23
The Atlanta Journal, July 20, 1996
School i n B l o o m f i e l d H i l l s , Mich., who planned t o a t t e n d V i l l a n o v a
U n i v e r s i t y i n the f a l l
-Johnson, E.
-Johnson, Jed, New York, i n t e r i o r d e s i g n e r
-Johnson, L.
-Jones, Romana
-Karschner, Amanda, s t u d e n t from M o n t o u r s v i l l e , Pa.
- K r i k h a n , Margot
-Krukar, Andrew, 40, B r i d g e w a t e r , Conn., engineer a t t h e T o r r i n g t o n Co.
i n Watertown, Conn.
-Kwan, Barbara, 40, S c o t t s d a l e , A r i z . , o f f - d u t y TWA employee
-Kwiat, P a t r i c i a
-Kwiat, K i m b e r l y
-Labys, Jane, Morgantown,
W.Va.
-Lacailledesse, Antoine
-LaForge, A l a i n
-Lamour, Yvon
-Leim, Ana, M i l l V a l l e y , C a l i f . , o f f - d u t y TWA f l i g h t a t t e n d a n t ( m a r r i e d
t o Donald Gough)
- L o f f r e d o , E l a i n e , 50, G l a s t o n b u r y , Conn., o f f - d u t y TWA employee
-Loudenslager, Jody, s t u d e n t from M o n t o u r s v i l l e , Pa.
-Lohan, B r i t t a
- L o f f r e d o , E l i , 42, Albuquerque, N.M.
-Loudenslager, Jody
-Lohan, B r i t t a
-Loo, P a t r i c i a
-Lucien, D a l i l a , 17, n i e c e o f saxophone p l a y e r Wayne S h o r t e r , who was n o t
on t h e f l i g h t
-Luevano, E l i , 42, Albuquerque, N.M., o f f - d u t y TWA employee
-Lychner, Pam, 37, Houston, prominent v i c t i m s ' r i g h t s advocate, (mother
of Shannon, 10, and K a t i e , 8)
-Lychner, K a t i e , 8, Houston
-Lychner, Shannon, 10, Houston
-Manchuelle, F r a n c o i s
-Maresq, E t i e n n e
-Maresq, N i c o l a s
- M a r t i n , B e t t y Ruth, 69, o f B e l l e v i l l e , 111.
-Mazzola, S a l v a t o r , Palermo, I t a l y
-McPherson, Pamela, 45, A t l a n t a , o f f - d u t y TWA employee
-Mercurio, Giuseppe, Palo d e l C o l l e , I t a l y , p r o d u c e - s t a n d worker and p a r t owner o f j e w e l r y s t o r e i n B a r i , I t a l y ( m a r r i e d t o Anna D'Alessandro)
-Merieux, Rodolphe
-Meshulam, A v i s h a i m
- M i c h e l , Pascal
- M i l l e r , Amy, Andreas, Pa., t a k i n g t r i p t o P a r i s t o c e l e b r a t e f i f t h
wedding a n n i v e r s a r y ( m a r r i e d t o Kyle M i l l e r )
- M i l l e r , E l i z a b e t h , i n her 50s, T e n a f l y , N.J., ( m a r r i e d t o Robert M i l l e r )
- M i l l e r , Gideon, 57, Sarasota, F l a . , o f f - d u t y TWA p i l o t
- M i l l e r , Joan
- M i l l e r , K y l e , 29, Andreas, Pa. ( m a r r i e d t o Amy M i l l e r )
- M i l l e r , Robert, 62, T e n a f l y , N.J., T e n a f l y borough a d m i n i s t r a t o r
-Murta, Angela
-Nelson, A.
-Unnamed passenger f l y i n g w i t h A. Nelson
�Page 24
The Atlanta Journal, July 20, 1996
- N i b e r t , C h e r y l , s t u d e n t from M o n t o u r s v i l l e , Pa.
-Notes, Gadi
-O'Hara, C a i t l i n , 13, I r v i n g t o n , N.Y., (daughter o f Janet and John
O'Hara) -O'Hara, Janet, I r v i n g t o n , N.Y., ( m a r r i e d t o John O'Hara)
-O'Hara, John, 39, I r v i n g t o n , N.Y., Emmy Award-winning e x e c u t i v e producer
of ABC Sports
-Olsen, Rebecca, Macon, Ga., j u n i o r h i s t o r y major a t U n i v e r s i t y o f
Georgia - O m i c c i o l i , Monica, 23, Fano, I t a l y , seamstress ( m a r r i e d t o M i r k o
B u t t a r o n i ) , Fano, I t a l y
-Orman, A l a n
-Ostachiewicz, E l s i e
-Unnamed passenger f l y i n g w i t h E l s i e Ostachiewicz
-Paquet, Huguette
-Paquet, I n g r i d
-Pares, Serge
-Penzer, Judy
-Percy, Marion
- P r i c e , Dennis, Englewood, Colo., ( m a r r i e d t o Peggy P r i c e )
- P r i c e , Peggy, Englewood, Colo.
- P r i v e t i e , Glenda, Stevenson, A l a . , (mother o f Thomas Weatherby)
-Puhlmann, Rico
-Puichaud, E l i z a b e t h
-Remy, J a c q u e l i n e
-Rhein, K i r k , 42, p r e s i d e n t and c h i e f e x e c u t i v e o f t h e D a n i e l s o n H o l d i n g
Corp., an i n s u r a n c e company, and a p a r t n e r i n t h e investment f i r m
Whitman, H e f f e r n a n , Rhein & Co., o f D a r i e n , Conn.
-Rhoads, S c o t t , 48, B e l l e v u e , Wash., s c h o o l t e a c h e r ( m a r r i e d t o M a r i t E.
Rhoads)-Richey, Brent
- R i c h t e r , Annelyse
- R i c h t e r , Noemie
-Rio, C e l i n e
-Rogers, K i m b e r l y , s t u d e n t from M o n t o u r s v i l l e , Pa.
-Rojany, Yon
-Romangna, Barbara
-Rose, K a t r i n a
-Rupert, J u d i t h , h i g h school s e c r e t a r y , M o n t o u r s v i l l e , Pa.
- S c o t t , Barbara, Stevenson, A l a . , ( m a r r i e d t o Michael S c o t t , mother o f
Joseph S c o t t )
- S c o t t , Joseph, 13, Stevenson, A l a . (son o f Michael and Barbara S c o t t )
- S c o t t , M i c h a e l , Stevenson, A l a .
- S h o r t e r , Anamaria, ( w i f e o f saxophone p l a y e r Wayne S h o r t e r , who was n o t
on t h e f l i g h t , and aunt o f D a l i l a Lucien, who was on board)
- S i e b e r t , Brenna, 25, H o l t s Summit, Mo., worked a t a v e t e r i n a r y c l i n i c i n
J e f f e r s o n C i t y , Mo., ( s i s t e r o f Chrisha S i e b e r t )
- S i e b e r t , Chrisha, 28, Kansas C i t y , Mo., t a u g h t t h e a t e r a t Rockhurst
C o l l e g e -Silverman, Candace, 22 (daughter o f Eugene and E t t a Silverman)
-Silverman, E t t a , 53 ( m a r r i e d t o Eugene Silverman)
-Silverman, Gene, 54, a B e l A i r , C a l i f . , t a x a t t o r n e y (husband t o E t t a ;
couple's daughters a r e Candace and Jamie)
-Silverman, Jamie, 15 (daughter o f Eugene and E t t a Silverman)
-Simmons, O l i v i a , 50, Orange, N.J., o f f - d u t y TWA employee
- S k j o l d , K.
- S t o r y , W i l l i a m R., p r e s i d e n t and c h i e f e x e c u t i v e o f f i c e r o f N a t i o n a l
American Insurance Co. o f C a l i f o r n i a .
�Page 25
The Atlanta Journal, July 20,
1996
-Straus, Carina
-Teang, L y d i e
-Teang, Rachana
-Thiery, Josette
- T o f a n i , Mauro, 46, Prato, I t a l y , c l o t h merchant
-Uzupis, L a r i s s a , s t u d e n t from M o n t o u r s v i l l e , Pa.
-Vanepps, L o i s
-Verhaeghe, R.L.,
48, Goldsboro, N.C,
o f f - d u t y TWA f l i g h t o f f i c e r
-Warren, L a n i , 48, Sherman Oaks, C a l i f . , o f f - d u t y TWA f l i g h t s e r v i c e
manager -Watson, J a c q u e l i n e , student from M o n t o u r s v i l l e , Pa.
-Watson, J i l l , i n her 30s, o f P i t t s b u r g h , daughter of ThermoKing
p r e s i d e n t James F. Watson ( f a t h e r was not on the f l i g h t )
-Weatherby, Thomas, 13, Stevenson, A l a . , (son of Glenda P r i v e t t e )
-Weaver, Monica, s t u d e n t from M o n t o u r s v i l l e , Pa.
- W i n d m i l l e r , Ruben
-Wolfson, Eleanor, chaperone of M o n t o u r s v i l l e , Pa., group (mother o f
Wendy Wolfson)
-Wolfson, Wendy, s t u d e n t from M o n t o u r s v i l l e , Pa. (daughter of Eleanor
Wolfson) - W o l t e r s , Bonnie, o f New York C i t y , a bond t r a d e r engaged t o be
m a r r i e d t o a judge who was not on the f l i g h t but had planned t o j o i n her
i n France n e x t week. -Yee, J u d i t h
-Zara, Jean
LOAD-DATE: J u l y 21,
1996
�Page 51
LEVEL 1 - 177 OF 361 STORIES
C o p y r i g h t 1996 The D a i l y Telegraph p i c
The D a i l y Telegraph
J u l y 20, 1996,
Saturday
SECTION: Pg. 15
LENGTH: 66 8 words
HEADLINE: DISASTER ON FLIGHT 800: The sea g i v e s up memories o f t h e dead V i c t i m s
of t h e b l a s t : some were newly-weds . . . a l l had so much t o l o o k f o r w a r d t o Fate
p l a y e d a hand i n who boarded the doomed f l i g h t
BYLINE: By David Sapsted i n New York and Paul
Stokes
BODY:
THE SEA o f f Long I s l a n d c o n t i n u e d y e s t e r d a y t o y i e l d the p e r s o n a l possessions
- c l o t h i n g , a wedding photograph, a book o f p o e t r y , t o y s - t h a t p r o v i d e d a
c o n s t a n t reminder t h a t t h e e x p l o s i o n on TWA F l i g h t 800 caused an immense human
t r a g e d y . Many s t o r i e s emerged o f the heartache o f American and European
f a m i l i e s o f t h e 230 who d i e d ; and t h e r e were i n s t a n c e s where t h e f a t e s c r u e l l y
c o n s p i r e d t o p u t people on the doomed f l i g h t . A group o f e i g h t I t a l i a n s ,
i n c l u d i n g Giuseppe M e r c u r i o , 29, and h i s b r i d e , Anna, 25, who were r e t u r n i n g
from t h e i r honeymoon, s h o u l d have been on a d i r e c t f l i g h t t o Rome, b u t TWA had
c a n c e l l e d i t . Charles "Hank" Gray I I I , 47, a C o n n e c t i c u t i n s u r a n c e e x e c u t i v e ,
had meant t o f l y from H a r t f o r d t o Washington f o r a f l i g h t t o P a r i s , b u t h i s
d r i v e r g o t l o s t , c a u s i n g him t o miss the plane and s w i t c h t o F l i g h t 800. Fate
stepped i n t o save o t h e r s who s h o u l d have been aboard t h e TWA j e t : a Chicago
mother whose c o n n e c t i n g f l i g h t t o Kennedy A i r p o r t was c a n c e l l e d , c a u s i n g her t o
miss t h e p l a n e ; an I t a l i a n businessman who a r r i v e d a t JFK so e a r l y t h a t he was
put on another plane g o i n g d i r e c t l y t o Rome. But most o f those on F l i g h t 800 had
planned t o f l y w i t h TWA and were a n t i c i p a t i n g adventures i n Europe when t h e
plane exploded soon a f t e r 8.45pm on Wednesday. Andrew Krukar, from B r i d g e w a t e r ,
C o n n e c t i c u t , was bound f o r P a r i s on a business t r i p . But he t o o k an engagement
ring.
His f i a n c e e , J u l i e S t u a r t , worked i n P a r i s and he planned t o propose t o
her. K y l e , h i s 1 3 - y e a r - o l d son from a p r e v i o u s m a r r i a g e , spoke t o h i s f a t h e r by
phone j u s t b e f o r e he boarded. " A l l he c o u l d t a l k about was t h e wedding," he
s a i d . There were a l s o many f a m i l i e s on board: R i c h a r d Bergman, 54, a Los Angeles
a t t o r n e y , and h i s w i f e , E t t a , 53, were t r e a t i n g t h e i r daughters Candace, 22, and
Jamie, 15, t o a t r i p t o I t a l y t o c e l e b r a t e Candace's double major i n psychology
and E n g l i s h from t h e U n i v e r s i t y o f Southern C a l i f o r n i a . The t r i p was a l s o a
g r a d u a t i o n p r e s e n t f o r K a t r i n a Rose. She d i e d a l o n g w i t h her mother, Sandy. Tom
Weatherby and Joseph S c o t t , b o t h 13, were w i t h t h e i r p a r e n t s f o r a h o l i d a y i n
France. The boys had t a l k e d about t h e t r i p f o r the p a s t year, a c c o r d i n g t o
neighbours i n Stevenson, Alabama. Work f o r c e d Tom's s t e p f a t h e r t o p u l l o u t a t
the l a s t minute. Jack O'Hara, an ABC Sports e x e c u t i v e , who won f i v e Emmy Awards
f o r TV shows he produced, d i e d w i t h h i s w i f e , Janet, and t h e i r daughter C a i t l i n ,
13. Mr O'Hara, on h i s l a s t assignment f o r ABC b e f o r e g o i n g independent, was
t r a v e l l i n g t o arrange network coverage o f t h e Tour de France. Pam Lychner, 37,
an a c t i v i s t f o r t h e r i g h t s o f crime v i c t i m s , and her two daughters, aged 10 and
e i g h t , had been heading from t h e i r home i n Houston f o r a f a m i l y h o l i d a y i n
P a r i s . Mrs Lychner's husband, Joe, was due t o j o i n them i n a week. Ruth and
�Page 52
1996 The Daily Telegraph pic, July 20, 1996
Edwin Brooks, from Massachusetts, were f l y i n g t o P a r i s so t h a t Mrs Brooks c o u l d
c e l e b r a t e h e r 8 0 t h b i r t h d a y i n France. Marcel Dadi, a French g u i t a r i s t , was
r e t u r n i n g home t o I s r a e l , a f t e r one o f h i s proudest moments: he had r e c e i v e d a
s t a r a t t h e C o u n t r y Music H a l l o f Fame i n N a s h v i l l e f o r p o p u l a r i s i n g c o u n t r y
music i n Europe. "He was one o f my dearest f r i e n d s , " s a i d t h e g u i t a r i s t , Chet
A t k i n s . A member o f t h e French n a t i o n a l hockey team, M i c h e l l a B r e i s t o f f , 25,
from Amiens, a l s o d i e d . The o n l y B r i t i s h v i c t i m , C h r i s t i n e d ' l o r i o , 45, and h e r
I t a l i a n husband, P i e t r o , were r e t u r n i n g from a v i s i t t o San Jose, C a l i f o r n i a , t o
see h e r b r o t h e r , I a n B a i l e y , 35. Her f a m i l y i n H a l i f a x were c r i t i c a l o f TWA
y e s t e r d a y f o r t a k i n g 14 hours t o c o n f i r m t h a t she was on t h e f l i g h t . Her
b r o t h e r , John B a i l e y , s a i d : " I a n phoned and s a i d t h e r e had been a p l a n e c r a s h
but we d i d n ' t know she was on t h e plane a t t h a t t i m e . We were w o r r i e d because
she was e i t h e r g o i n g t o P a r i s o r Amsterdam." Apart from t h e 18 crew w o r k i n g on
the plane, TWA l o s t another 14 c a b i n crew and t h r e e a i r c r e w i n t h e t r a g e d y . Capt
Gid M i l l e r , 58, and h i s crew were f l y i n g as passengers t o b r i n g a European
f l i g h t back t o America.
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH
LOAD-DATE: J u l y 21, 1996
�JUL-£4 96 El:56 FROM:WHITE HOUSE
£024562983
JUL Z4 '96 08:0QPM DOT^SECRETARY OFFICE
TO:65709
PAGE:02
P. Ul
U.S. Department of Transportation Acknowledgements
Commander Cynthia Coogan
Arlene Feldman
Adm. John Linnon
George Marlin
\
0
U.S. Coast Guard
Regional Administrator - Federal Aviation
Administration
Commander, First District, US Coast Guard
Exec. Director, Port Authority of New York and
New Jersey
Families of the victims of Korean Airlines 007
Families of the victims of PanAm 103
Hans Ephramson
Victoria Cummock
The Red Cross and all its volunteers
Large number of clergy, counselors, TWA escorts who have volunteered their time
�Page 18
LEVEL 1 - 7 OF 15 STORIES
C o p y r i g h t 1996 Newsday, I n c .
Newsday
J u l y 24, 1996, Wednesday,
SECTION: NEWS;
NASSAU AND SUFFOLK EDITION
Page AO7
LENGTH: 764 words
HEADLINE: THE BLAST ON FLIGHT 800 / THE BLAST ON FLIGHT 800 / CARING FOR
DEAD, THE LIVING
BYLINE: Paul
THE
Vitello
BODY:
I t i s an a n c i e n t i n s t i n c t , a s e n s i t i v i t y t h a t began b e f o r e t h e r e was a
h i s t o r y o f human d i s a s t e r , maybe b e f o r e t h e r e was humanity: t o r e t r i e v e t h e body
of a l o v e d one, prepare i t f o r b u r i a l , and b u r y i t i n a p l a c e where i t can be
revisited.
M. V i c t o r i a Cummock o f C o r a l Gables, F l a . , who l o s t her husband i n 1988 when
Pan Am F l i g h t 103 was blown up over L o c k e r b i e , S c o t l a n d , d e s c r i b e s i t as "a deep
sense o f l o y a l t y . "
I t i s what compelled t h e f a m i l i e s o f F l i g h t 103 t h e n , and compels t h e
f a m i l i e s o f TWA F l i g h t 800 now t o demand t h e i d e n t i f i c a t i o n and r e l e a s e o f t h e
dead from t h e c r a s h - and sometimes t o demand i t f o r c e f u l l y .
"That's what makes t h i s phase so hard," Cummock s a i d y e s t e r d a y o u t s i d e t h e
Ramada Plaza H o t e l a t Kennedy A i r p o r t , where she has been w i t h t h e f a m i l i e s
s i n c e Sunday.
"When you care about someone, you never want t o abandon them. I f t h e y a r e
down a t t h e bottom o f t h e ocean, i t ' s t h e same f e e l i n g as knowing t h e y a r e s i c k
and need you. You want t o go t o them. You want t o t a k e care o f them. That's why
the f a m i l i e s a r e anxious
..."
Cummock i s t h e 4 3 - y e a r - o l d s i n g l e mother o f t h r e e c h i l d r e n , o n l y t h e o l d e s t
of whom has any memory o f t h e i r f a t h e r . She has t h e p r a c t i c e d s e l f - c o n f i d e n c e o f
the former model and former a d v e r t i s i n g e x e c u t i v e t h a t she i s , and a
stubbornness t h a t made her decide e a r l y on, she s a i d , t h a t " t h e t e r r o r i s t s g o t
my husband's l i f e , b u t t h e y weren't g o i n g t o g e t mine and my k i d s ' . "
The t e r r o r i s t s .
I t t o o k two y e a r s , b u t t h e e x p l o s i o n t h a t downed F l i g h t 103 was t r a c e d t o
t e r r o r i s t s s u p p o r t e d by Libya's Moammar Gadhafi, and t h e word hangs i n t h e a i r
over t h e cause o f t h e c r a s h o f F l i g h t 800 l i k e a h i s s i n g whisper.
Though she has come t o t h e Ramada a t t h e i n v i t a t i o n o f TWA,
Cummock does n o t
�Page 19
Newsday, July 24, 1996
h e s t i t a t e a moment t o warn you and me t h a t s i n c e t h e bombing o f F l i g h t 103, n o t
much has changed i n a i r l i n e s e c u r i t y .
" I t breaks my h e a r t , i f t h i s c o u l d have been p r e v e n t e d by t i g h t e r s e c u r i t y , "
she s a i d .
Cummock was i n s t r u m e n t a l i n seeing t h e e s t a b l i s h m e n t o f a 1990 p r e s i d e n t i a l
commission t h a t s t u d i e d a i r s a f e t y . She l a t e r t e s t i f i e d b e f o r e Congress t o
promote t h e commission's recommendations, most o f which have n o t been
implemented.
"We recommended t h a t e x p l o s i v e s d e t e c t o r s be u n i v e r s a l l y i n s t a l l e d , and t h e y
have n o t , " she s a i d .
"We recommended t h a t cargo and baggage be screened, and t h e y s t i l l
she s a i d .
are not,"
"For s i x y e a r s , t h e a i r l i n e s have been d r a g g i n g t h e i r f e e t , w i t h t h e
c o o p e r a t i o n o f t h e T r a n s p o r t a t i o n Department," she s a i d .
"And u n t i l a i r t r a v e l e r s s t a r t screaming and s h o u t i n g , n o t h i n g i s g o i n g t o
change. W r i t e t o your s e n a t o r s . W r i t e t o your congressmen. C a l l t h e White
House," she s a i d .
Repeated c a l l s y e s t e r d a y t o t h e spokesman f o r t h e N a t i o n a l A i r T r a n s p o r t
A s s o c i a t i o n , t h e major a i r c a r r i e r ' s l o b b y i n g group, and t h e N a t i o n a l A i r
C a r r i e r A s s o c i a t i o n , a s i m i l a r o r g a n i z a t i o n , were n o t r e t u r n e d .
I n p r e v i o u s l y p u b l i s h e d r e p o r t s , FAA spokesmen have been quoted s a y i n g t h a t
as a r e s u l t o f t h e commission's 1990 recommendations, t h e r e i s i n c r e a s e d
s c r u t i n y o f t h e backgrounds o f a i r p o r t s e c u r i t y p e r s o n n e l , and new r e g u l a t i o n s
t h a t r e q u i r e n o t i f i c a t i o n o f a i r l i n e crews i f an a i r l i n e f l i g h t has been
threatened.
There i s no requirement
recommendation.
f o r e x p l o s i v e s d e t e c t o r s , d e s p i t e t h e commission's
"The f a m i l i e s i n s i d e , " s a i d Cummock, r e f e r r i n g t o t h e f a m i l i e s o f F l i g h t 800,
"are n o t focused y e t on i s s u e s l i k e these. A l l t h e y a r e focused on r i g h t now i s
g e t t i n g t h e i r l o v e d ones home."
When you t a l k t o them, what do t h e y ask you about?
"They ask i f i t ' s
normal t o f e e l numb," she s a i d . " I t e l l them i t i s . "
"They ask, When w i l l I stop f e e l i n g numb?' "
"They ask, How do you r a i s e k i d s w i t h o u t a f a t h e r , o r w i t h o u t a mother?' "
Cummock s t i l l c r i e s on a n n i v e r s a r i e s , c r i e s a t h e r c h i l d r e n ' s g r a d u a t i o n
ceremonies, s u f f e r s p e r i o d s o f d e p r e s s i o n . But she b e l i e v e s t h a t "time, l o v e and
t h e r a p y " - each i n l a r g e doses - have helped h e r t o "reach r e s o l u t i o n " w i t h h e r
husband's f a t e . She does n o t much l i k e t h e word " c l o s u r e . "
Losses l i k e these, she s a i d , "can never be c l o s e d . "
�Page 20
Newsday, July 24, 1996
As she spoke, TWA CEO J e f f r e y E r i c k s o n began b r i e f i n g r e p o r t e r s 2 0 f e e t away.
"Why haven't you implemented t h e recommendations o f t h e 1990 p r e s i d e n t i a l
commission on a v i a t i o n s e c u r i t y ? " a t e l e v i s i o n r e p o r t e r asked.
" I t h i n k , f i r s t o f a l l , t h a t you a r e jumping t o c o n c l u s i o n s here,"
E r i c k s o n . "We don't know what caused t h i s crash . . .
said
"Of course, we a r e g o i n g t o l o o k i n t o ways t o improve s a f e t y . That goes
without saying . . . "
Next q u e s t i o n .
GRAPHIC: Newsday Photo by V i o r e l F l o r e s c u - L o c k e r b i e widow Cummock i s c o u n s e l i n g
familieis.
LANGUAGE: E n g l i s h
LOAD-DATE: J u l y 24, 1996
�Page 2
LEVEL 1 - 1 OF 15 STORIES
C o p y r i g h t 1996 Boston H e r a l d I n c .
The Boston H e r a l d
J u l y 24, 1996 Wednesday
SECTION: NEWS;
THIRD EDITION
Pg. 004
LENGTH: 348 words
HEADLINE: Confusion, slow pace o f r e c o v e r y adding t o s t r a i n
BYLINE: By JASON B. JOHNSON
BODY:
Growing anger among f a m i l y and f r i e n d s o f v i c t i m s k i l l e d i n t h e TWA F l i g h t
800 c r a s h over c o n f l i c t i n g i n f o r m a t i o n and delays i n r e c o v e r y e f f o r t s has l e f t
the mourners i n an e m o t i o n a l limbo, mental h e a l t h e x p e r t s s a i d y e s t e r d a y .
"Perhaps, i n people's haste t o come up w i t h an answer, t h e y may be r e l e a s i n g
i n f o r m a t i o n t o o q u i c k l y , which can have a boomerang a f f e c t , " s a i d Dr. Douglas
Jacobs, a p s y c h i a t r i s t on t h e f a c u l t y o f Harvard U n i v e r s i t y .
A stream o f c o n t r a d i c t o r y statements f o l l o w i n g t h e c r a s h has i n t e n s i f i e d t h e
c o n f u s i o n f e l t by r e l a t i v e s o f t h e v i c t i m s , p s y c h i a t r i s t s s a i d .
A r e p o r t from New York Gov. George P a t a k i t h a t "dozens and dozens" o f bodies
were d i s c o v e r e d t r a p p e d under f u s e l a g e wreckage was d i s p u t e d l a t e l a s t n i g h t by
the c h i e f N a t i o n a l T r a n s p o r t i o n S a f e t y Board o f f i c i a l on t h e scene.
At an evening news conference, board V i c e Chairman Robert F r a n c i s s a i d ,
"There are no bodies t h a t we have d i s c o v e r e d t h a t have not been r e c o v e r e d . "
White House C h i e f o f S t a f f Leon Panetta t r i g g e r e d i n t e n s e s p e c u l a t i o n t h a t a
bomb caused t h e c r a s h when he t o l d r e p o r t e r s chemical r e s i d u e had been found on
r e c o v e r e d p i e c e s o f t h e plane and on passengers' bodies.
But P r e s i d e n t C l i n t o n l a t e r s a i d : "Based on t h e r e p o r t s t h a t I have read, and
I'm g e t t i n g r e g u l a r r e p o r t s
I cannot say t h a t t h e evidence e s t a b l i s h e s t h e
cause o f t h e a c c i d e n t . "
S e v e r a l f a m i l y members have formed a s p l i n t e r group t h a t i s l e s s w i l l i n g t o
t o l e r a t e what has been p e r c e i v e d as t h e slow pace o f t h e i n v e s t i g a t i o n .
Shelagh W i n t e r , a r e g i s t e r e d nurse who served as host t o a young French
exchange s t u d e n t k i l l e d on t h e f l i g h t , s a i d c o n d i t i o n s i n s i d e t h e Ramada Plaza
H o t e l - where 180 f a m i l i e s a n x i o u s l y a w a i t words o f t h e i r l o v e d ones - a r e
" d e t e r i o r a t i n g " and becoming "more h o s t i l e . "
"There i s a need f o r t h e f a m i l i e s t o b r i n g c l o s u r e so t h a t t h e y can b e g i n t h e
h e a l i n g process," Jacobs s a i d .
" G r i e f , as w i t h any process, goes i n stages. There i s acute g r i e f , which can
�Page 3
The Boston Herald, July 24, 1996 Wednesday
l a s t anywhere from f o u r t o s i x weeks," Jacobs s a i d . "Here ( t h e c o n f u s i o n i s )
p r o l o n g i n g t h e a c u t e phase."
LOAD-DATE: J u l y 24, 1996
�Page 15
LEVEL 1 - 6 OF 6 STORIES
C o p y r i g h t 1996 The Washington Post
The Washington Post
J u l y 24, 1996,
Wednesday, F i n a l E d i t i o n
SECTION: A SECTION; Pg. A15
LENGTH: 1221
words
HEADLINE: S u r v i v o r s C i r c l e i n a Second Ring o f H e l l ; Lack o f Answers Exasperates
Many F a m i l i e s , b u t Memorial S e r v i c e , V o l u n t e e r s Help Ease Pain
BYLINE: Dale Russakoff;
L a u r i e Goodstein,
Washington Post S t a f f W r i t e r s
DATELINE: NEW YORK, J u l y 23
BODY:
On Day Four o f t h e l i m b o t h a t was p a s s i n g f o r l i f e a t t h e Ramada Plaza H o t e l
a t John F. Kennedy I n t e r n a t i o n a l A i r p o r t , f a m i l i e s o f t h e v i c t i m s o f t h e Trans
World A i r l i n e s F l i g h t 800 c r a s h were r e a c h i n g t h e i r l i m i t . W i t h f u r y t h a t c o u l d
f e l l a t r e e , t h e y poured out o f t h e i r rooms, i n t o a m a k e s h i f t b r i e f i n g c e n t e r ,
t o c o n f r o n t a man who many f e l t was e x a c e r b a t i n g t h e i r g r i e f .
I t was S u f f o l k County Medical Examiner Charles W e t l i , whose o f f i c e seemed t o
be i d e n t i f y i n g t h e bodies p u l l e d from t h e A t l a n t i c Ocean a t a g l a c i a l pace.
Why, t h e anguished f a m i l i e s demanded, hadn't W e t l i i m m e d i a t e l y asked f o r
o u t s i d e help? Why d i d an incensed Gov. George E. P a t a k i (R) have t o i n t e r v e n e
b e f o r e W e t l i expanded h i s overextended s t a f f ?
" I f t h e man's t r y i n g t o prove a p o i n t , he's p r o v i n g i t w i t h my dead son,"
d e c l a r e d Ted H a r r i s , who then was i n h i s f o u r t h day o f a w a i t i n g d i s c o v e r y o f t h e
body o f h i s son, Lawrence.
The Ramada Plaza, t h e unwanted home o f t h e f a m i l i e s o f F l i g h t 800's v i c t i m s ,
i s now a p l a c e where emotions f l o w l i k e rough ocean c u r r e n t s . F a m i l i e s who
t r a v e l e d here t h i n k i n g t h e worst had a l r e a d y happened d i s c o v e r e d a second r i n g
of h e l l i n t h e l a s t s i x days o f w a i t i n g and i r r e s o l u t i o n . T h e i r anger has
f l o a t e d from moment t o moment among those deemed most r e s p o n s i b l e f o r t h e d e l a y
i n f i n d i n g , i d e n t i f y i n g and r e l e a s i n g bodies.
On Day One, t h e morning a f t e r the Wednesday n i g h t d i s a s t e r , i t was TWA's
c h i e f e x e c u t i v e o f f i c e r , J e f f r e y E r i c k s o n , who w a i t e d almost 24 hours t o r e l e a s e
t h e passenger l i s t . On Day Four, Sunday, i t was W e t l i .
Throughout, i t has been t h e i n v e s t i g a t o r s , whom f a m i l i e s suspect o f knowing
more t h a n t h e y t e l l , and r e p o r t e r s , encamped o u t s i d e by t h e hundreds, f i l m i n g
every movement i n and o u t .
"People don't l i k e i t because t h e y want i n s t a n t answers," John R. Shafer,
g r a n d f a t h e r o f Monica Weaver, 16, one o f t h e M o n t o u r s v i l l e , Pa., High School
French Club members on t h e f l i g h t , s a i d today. "But f o r some t h i n g s i n l i f e ,
�Page 16
The Washington Post, July 24, 1996
t h e r e a r e no i n s t a n t answers."
W i t h t h e d i s c o v e r y today o f l a r g e p i e c e s o f wreckage on t h e ocean f l o o r t h a t
may c o n t a i n more bodies and a v a s t l y sped-up i d e n t i f i c a t i o n process a t t h e
medical examiner's o f f i c e , more and more f a m i l i e s a r e t a k i n g h e a r t t h a t t h e
l i m b o i s l i f t i n g and t h a t t h e i r l o v e d ones' bodies w i l l be found and r e l e a s e d t o
them soon.
But t h e y a l s o have l e a r n e d from s i x days i n s i d e t h e Ramada Plaza never t o
expect t h a t any aspect o f l i f e a f t e r a plane c r a s h w i l l go as planned.
The f a m i l i e s a t t h e Ramada -- t h e r e were 130 t h e r e today, and 45 o t h e r s had
gone home w i t h t h e i r r e l a t i v e s ' bodies o r t o a w a i t f u r t h e r news -- have spent
most o f t h e i r days i n a l a r g e conference room d i v i d e d down t h e m i d d l e .
On one s i d e , t h e y hear b r i e f i n g s , and can f i n d s t a f f members from t h e
governor's o f f i c e , t h e mayor's o f f i c e , t h e N a t i o n a l T r a n s p o r t a t i o n S a f e t y Board,
the Coast Guard and t h e Red Cross, which i s s u p e r v i s i n g t h e c o u n s e l i n g o f
f a m i l i e s . On t h e o t h e r s i d e a r e t a b l e s where t h e y e a t meals served by TWA and
j u s t s i t and w a i t . The same f a m i l i e s always s i t a t t h e same t a b l e s -- day a f t e r
day, meal a f t e r meal, a c c o r d i n g t o c o u n s e l o r s . I n t h i s f o r e i g n and
u n c o n t r o l l a b l e w o r l d , s a i d one c o u n s e l o r , " i t i s something t h a t i s t h e i r s . "
The f a m i l i e s i n s i d e t h e Ramada have developed v a s t l y d i f f e r e n t a t t i t u d e s
toward t h e i n v e s t i g a t i o n t h a n d i d much o f t h e o u t s i d e w o r l d . I n s i d e , t h e f o c u s
i s almost e x c l u s i v e l y on who has helped them i n t h e i r g r i e f -- and who h a s n ' t .
While TWA e x e c u t i v e s came under heavy a t t a c k from p u b l i c o f f i c i a l s , f a m i l i e s
at t h e Ramada v o i c e d a f f e c t i o n f o r TWA employees and r e t i r e e s who v o l u n t e e r e d as
" e s c o r t s " t o m i n i s t e r t o t h e i r needs. One e s c o r t assigned t o t h e l a r g e f a m i l y o f
a young man on t h e f l i g h t bought them items as simple as c a f f e i n e - f r e e soda and
h e a r i n g a i d b a t t e r i e s . When t h e y became s t i r - c r a z y i n t h e h o t e l , she a r r a n g e d
f o r them t o t o u r Manhattan. When t h e f a t h e r needed h e l p making t h e p a y r o l l o f
h i s s m a l l b u s i n e s s , she arranged f o r TWA t o cover i t . When t h e f a m i l y secured
the young man's m e d i c a l r e c o r d s , she d e l i v e r e d them t o W e t l i ' s o f f i c e f o r them.
While New York Mayor Rudolph W G i u l i a n i (R) and t h e governor were denounced
.
i n t h e o u t s i d e w o r l d as grandstanders -- " t y p i c a l New York p o l i t i c i a n s , " groused
a House R e p u b l i c a n l e a d e r s h i p a i d e today -- t h e f a m i l i e s a t t h e Ramada expressed
g r a t i t u d e t o t h e p o l i t i c i a n s f o r l i s t e n i n g t o t h e i r anguish and a c t i n g on i t .
G i u l i a n i secured an e a r l y passenger l i s t , which he passed on t o f a m i l i e s a t
the h o t e l e a r l y Thursday. P a t a k i f o r c e d changes a t t h e medical examiner's
o f f i c e , a r r a n g e d d a i l y access f o r . f a m i l i e s t o t o p f e d e r a l i n v e s t i g a t o r s and
o r c h e s t r a t e d a memorial s e r v i c e f o r them on Monday on t h e beach n e a r e s t t h e
ocean c r a s h s i t e . P a t a k i a l s o arranged f o r a d e l e g a t i o n o f f a m i l i e s t o f l y over
the c r a s h s i t e on Saturday i n a P o r t A u t h o r i t y a i r p l a n e , days a f t e r t h e y had
asked t h e same o f t h e NTSB -- and o n l y an hour a f t e r an NTSB spokesman had t o l d
r e p o r t e r s no f l y - o v e r was y e t planned.
"The bureaucracy was focused on i t s i n v e s t i g a t i o n -- do we b r i n g i n t h i s
p i e c e o f equipment? Do we c a l l up t h i s agency?" P a t a k i s a i d i n a t e l e p h o n e
i n t e r v i e w . "What was m i s s i n g was someone c a r i n g about t h e b r o t h e r o r t h e f a t h e r
or t h e s i s t e r o r t h e grandmother whose sense o f g r i e f and l o s s was something we
�Page 17
The Washington Post, July 24, 1996
c o u l d n o t comprehend."
I n s i d e t h e c i r c l e o f f a m i l i e s , concepts o f good news and bad news became
b l u r r e d . W i t h so much d e l a y , "good news" became t h e announcement t h a t a f a m i l y
member's body had been found a t t h e bottom o f t h e ocean. D u r i n g Monday's
memorial s e r v i c e a t t h e water's edge on Monday, P a t a k i announced i t as an a c t o f
God t h a t searchers had found much o f t h e f u s e l a g e and many more bodies -- and
many f a m i l y members and f r i e n d s o f v i c t i m s t o o k i t as e x a c t l y t h a t .
" I g o t goose bumps, I s t a r t e d t o c r y , " s a i d a woman mourning f r i e n d s k i l l e d
i n t h e c r a s h . " I hugged t h e people a l l around me. I t was w o n d e r f u l ! I t was
h o r r i f i c , b u t i t was w o n d e r f u l . "
Red Cross c o u n s e l i n g c o o r d i n a t o r Paul Ofman, a c l i n i c a l p s y c h o l o g i s t , s a i d he
n o t i c e d a marked s h i f t i n t h e mood o f f a m i l i e s who rode back w i t h him by bus
from t h e s e r v i c e . Simply b e i n g near t h e spot where t h e i r l o v e d ones d i e d , s a i d
Ofman, had begun t o accomplish what t h e b u r e a u c r a t i c wheels had n o t . " I heard
f a m i l i e s a c t u a l l y use t h e word ' c l o s u r e , ' " he s a i d .
"People d i d n ' t go from sadness t o j o y , b u t t h e y went from a s t a t e o f b e i n g
more t r o u b l e d and p a i n e d t o one o f b e i n g somewhat l e s s p a i n e d , " he s a i d .
One c o u n s e l o r who has been a t t h e Ramada t o h e l p t h e c r a s h v i c t i m s c o u l d have
t o l d them t h a t t h i s was o n l y t h e b e g i n n i n g o f t h e i r p a i n , b u t she d e c i d e d n o t
t o . B e t t y Capasso, a s o c i a l worker, was t h e mother o f Gregory Capasso, who d i e d
i n t h e bombing o f Pan Am F l i g h t 103 over L o c k e r b i e , S c o t l a n d , almost e i g h t years
ago. A l l t h e anger and g r i e f she w i t n e s s e d was a l l t o o f a m i l i a r t o h e r , she
s a i d , as i f someone was r e p l a y i n g t h e movie o f her worst h o r r o r , j u s t w i t h
d i f f e r e n t characters.
" I r e c o g n i z e d so many f e e l i n g s , so much f r u s t r a t i o n , and I a l s o had t h e
h i n d s i g h t t o p u t i t i n a c o n t e x t , " s a i d Capasso, who emphasized t h a t she has
channeled her g r i e f i n t o a p r o d u c t i v e l i f e . "The p o i n t i s t h a t t h e g r i e f never
does end. You never g e t over i t . You c o n t i n u e t o work t h r o u g h i t . And you work
t h r o u g h i t u n t i l you d i e . "
GRAPHIC: A message l e f t a t Smith P o i n t Beach on Long I s l a n d , w i t h roses and
photos o f l o v e d ones, r e f l e c t s p a r t o f t h e response t o t h e deaths o f 230 people
i n l a s t week's p l a n e e x p l o s i o n . Many s u r v i v o r s , however, a r e exasperated a t t h e
pace o f t h e i n v e s t i g a t i o n and t h e r e c o v e r y o f b o d i e s .
(Photo r a n on page A01)
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH
LOAD-DATE: J u l y 24, 1996
�Page 16
LEVEL 1 - 5 OF 15 STORIES
C o p y r i g h t 1996 Newsday, I n c .
Newsday
J u l y 24, 1996,
SECTION: NEWS;
Wednesday,
ALL EDITIONS
Page A39
LENGTH: 500 words
HEADLINE: THE BLAST ON FLIGHT 800 / A GRANDMOTHER SEEN AS A STAR
BYLINE: By Ching-Ching N i . STAFF WRITER
BODY:
As t h e i r grandmother l a y i n a casket trimmed w i t h s i l v e r and g o l d , a bouquet
of p i n k roses on t o p , N i k o l e 16, and S c o t t K o b r i e k , 10, remembered Renee Greene
as a woman o f boundless energy.
"You are t h e f i r e w o r k s on t h e F o u r t h o f J u l y , " t h e y read from a poem w r i t t e n
by t h e i r mother, J e r i l y n . "A f i r e b a l l i n a sunset sky, y e t o f t e n t e n d e r as a
l u l l a b y . You l o v e d l i f e i n t e n s e l y and w i t h w a n d e r l u s t . No ashes t o ashes, n o r
dust t o d u s t . Now a s h o o t i n g s t a r and a windy g u s t . "
Greene, 64, who d i e d i n t h e c r a s h o f TWA's F l i g h t 800, was remembered
y e s t e r d a y i n a s i m p l e s e r v i c e h e l d a t t h e Boulevard R i v e r s i d e Chapel i n H e w l e t t ,
as a s o f t m i s t f e l l o u t s i d e .
N i k o l e and S c o t t s a i d t h e y would never f o r g e t t h e i r c h e e r f u l grandmother, who
l o v e d i n t e r n a t i o n a l t r a v e l and shopping.
" I remember she was such a happy l a d y , always r u n n i n g around d o i n g whatever
she wanted t o and never b e i n g scared t o do i t , " s a i d N i k o l e .
Greene's husband, A l e x , 81, who was m a r r i e d t o Renee f o r 4 7 y e a r s , s a i d
memories o f h i s l i v e l y w i f e were t o o p a i n f u l t o r e c a l l .
" I c a n ' t imagine a l i f e w i t h o u t her," he s a i d . "When t h e sun comes up, she
grew w i t h t h e sun. She opened her eyes t o the w o r l d . To g e t up i n t h e morning
and n o t see her g e t up n e x t t o me i s i m p o s s i b l e . "
He s a i d he wished he had been on the plane w i t h h i s w i f e . I t would have been
b e t t e r t h a n r e t u r n i n g t o an empty house i n N o r t h Woodmere.
"He's g o i n g t o be home, alone, f o r a l o n g t i m e , " s a i d Lee K o b r i e k , Greene's
son-in-law.
But f a m i l y members are r e l i e v e d t h a t t h e y can f i n a l l y mourn i n p r i v a t e , away
from t h e p u b l i c eye. "There comes a t i m e when you have t o mourn t o g e t h e r as a
f a m i l y , n o t e v e r y t h i n g so p u b l i c anymore," Rabbi Joseph P o t a s n i k o f t h e New York
Board o f Rabbis t o l d t h e more than 100 people who a t t e n d e d t h e f u n e r a l s e r v i c e .
�Page 17
Newsday, July 24, 1996
" I w i s h we c o u l d s i m p l y h e a l t h a t wound, b u t t h a t ' s i m p o s s i b l e . I hope you
can a t l e a s t be a b l e t o cover t h e wound."
Renee Greene was 18 and h e r husband i n h i s e a r l y 3 0s when t h e y met on t h e
dance f l o o r o f a New York n i g h t c l u b . A former i n t e r i o r d e s i g n e r , she had been
t r a v e l i n g t h e w o r l d r e g u l a r l y f o r t h e l a s t 22 years. Her husband s a i d Renee
l o v e d t o shop and had been p l a n n i n g t o do some shopping i n P a r i s w i t h a f r i e n d
w i t h whom she was t r a v e l i n g on F l i g h t 800. She was p l a n n i n g t o meet up w i t h h e r
husband i n I s r a e l .
The v e r y p u b l i c death o f t h e 230 passengers and crew o f F l i g h t 800 t h r u s t
t o g e t h e r s t r a n g e r s from d i f f e r e n t p a r t s o f t h e c o u n t r y and t h e w o r l d , and some
c l o s e bonds were formed.
P o t a s n i k had met t h e f a m i l y f o r t h e f i r s t time a t t h e Ramada Plaza H o t e l , as
t h e y w a i t e d f o r t h e i d e n t i f i c a t i o n o f bodies a l o n g w i t h t h e f a m i l i e s o f o t h e r
victims.
"What happened a t Kennedy A i r p o r t was t h a t people who a r e complete s t r a n g e r s
became a p a r t o f one extended f a m i l y . We have a f a m i l y t h a t i s h u r t i n g and needs
h e l p , " s a i d P o t a s n i k . " I ' v e never seen t h e k i n d o f o u t p o u r i n g as I d i d t h i s p a s t
week. There a r e more decent people o u t t h e r e than i n d e c e n t people."
GRAPHIC: 1) Newsday Photo by J i m Peppier-Alex Greene, l e f t , t a l k s w i t h f a m i l y
and f r i e n d s a f t e r t h e s e r v i c e f o r h i s w i f e . 2) Photo-Renee Greene, v i c t i m o f TWA
800 c r a s h . Comfort, C o n s o l a t i o n . 3) Newsday Photo by J i m Peppier-Family and
f r i e n d s o f F l i g h t 800 v i c t i m Renee Greene comfort each o t h e r , above, a f t e r t h e
f u n e r a l a t R i v e r s i d e Memorial Chapel i n H e w l e t t . 4) Newsday Photo by V i o r e l
F l o r e s c u - A t l e f t , r e l a t i v e s o f o t h e r s k i l l e d i n t h e d i s a s t e r g i v e c o n s o l i n g hugs
o u t s i d e t h e Ramada H o t e l a t Kennedy A i r p o r t as f l o w e r s a r e brought i n . (p. A06
ALL)
LANGUAGE: E n g l i s h
LOAD-DATE: J u l y 24, 1996
�Page 11
LEVEL 1 - 4 OF 15 STORIES
C o p y r i g h t 1996 Newsday, I n c .
Newsday
J u l y 24, 1996,
SECTION: NEWS;
LENGTH: 1844
Wednesday,
HOME EDITION
Page A03
words
HEADLINE: THE BLAST ON FLIGHT 800 / A GRIM FIND / FIELD OF DEBRIS LOCATED; NO
BOMB RESIDUE IN NEW TEST
BYLINE: T h i s s t o r y was r e p o r t e d by J e n n i f e r Ackerman, S y l v i a Adcock, A l Baker,
Deborah B a r f i e l d , B i l l B l e y e r , Rick Brand, Matthew Cox, M i t c h e l l Freedman, Joe
Haberstroh, Glenn K e s s l e r , Robert E. Kessler, J e s s i c a Kowal, Chau Lam, E a r l
Lane, J e r r y Markon, M o l l y McCarthy, P h i l M i n t z , G e o f f r e y Mohan, E l i z a b e t h Moore,
Paul Moses, Samson Mulugeta, S h i r l e y E. Perlman, Amy Polacko, Joseph W Queen,
.
Jordan Rau, Knut Royce, Sidney C. Schaer, P a t r i c k J. Sloyan, Michael Slackman,
Laura Smitherman, Lauren Terrazzano, Steve Wick, O l i v i a Winslow and E l l e n Yan.
I t was w r i t t e n by Liam Pleven.
BODY:
I n a d i s c o v e r y b o t h welcome and g r i m , d i v e r s s e a r c h i n g t h e waters o f f Long
I s l a n d f o r s i g n s o f TWA F l i g h t 800 o r i t s passengers y e s t e r d a y found a l a r g e and
t a n g l e d network o f wreckage about 20 m i l e s o f f shore w i t h as many as 60 t o 100
bodies t r a p p e d i n s i d e , o f f i c i a l s saicT
But w h i l e o f f i c i a l s p r o b i n g the crash d e s c r i b e d t h e d i s c o v e r y as a
s i g n i f i c a n t s t e p toward r e t r i e v i n g b o t h v i c t i m s and c l u e s about t h e c r a s h , a
p r o m i s i n g l e a d t u r n e d sour when a second round o f t e s t s on a p i e c e o f wing
showed no t r a c e s o f chemical r e s i d u e t h a t might have c o n f i r m e d t h a t t h e p l a n e
was downed by sabotage a week ago today.
On a day when even White House Chief o f S t a f f Leon Panetta i s s u e d an update
on chemical t r a c e s t h a t was l a t e r c o n t r a d i c t e d by t h e C l i n t o n a d m i n i s t r a t i o n ,
sources s a i d an i n i t i a l t e s t t h a t showed s i g n s o f an e x p l o s i v e was superseded by
more e x t e n s i v e and s o p h i s t i c a t e d t e s t s a t t h e FBI l a b o r a t o r y i n Quantico, Va.,
t h a t found n o t h i n g .
At t h e same t i m e , i n v e s t i g a t o r s
t h a t a bomb o r a m i s s i l e may have
from t h e sky s h o r t l y a f t e r i t took
l a s t Wednesday w i t h 230 people on
were c a r e f u l n o t t o back away from t h e i r view
been r e s p o n s i b l e f o r k n o c k i n g t h e Boeing 747
o f f from Kennedy A i r p o r t en r o u t e t o P a r i s
board.
" e have c i r c u m s t a n t i a l evidence t h a t would p o i n t i n those d i r e c t i o n s , b u t
W
i t ' s c e r t a i n l y n o t c o n c l u s i v e , " James K a l l s t r o m , the head o f t h e FBI's New York
o f f i c e and a l e a d i n v e s t i g a t o r , s a i d l a s t n i g h t . One source has s a i d m e t a l
p i e c e s o f t h e plane showed s i g n s of pockmarks t h a t c o u l d i n d i c a t e an e x p l o s i o n .
At t h e r e q u e s t o f t h e FBI, t h e s t a t e a l s o p r o v i d e d i n v e s t i g a t o r s w i t h a C-130
�Page 12
Newsday, July 24, 1996
plane t o t r a n s p o r t t h e r i g h t wing t i p t o Washington, D.C, where i t w i l l a l s o be
t e s t e d f o r chemical r e s i d u e , K a l l s t r o m s a i d . The wing t i p a r r i v e d i n Washington
yesterday afternoon.
But Pentagon o f f i c i a l s s a i d A i r Force s a t e l l i t e s had n o t r e c o r d e d a n y t h i n g
r e s e m b l i n g a m i s s i l e approaching t h e plane t h a t n i g h t , and a f e d e r a l source s a i d
t h e r e i s s k e p t i c i s m among i n v e s t i g a t o r s about t h e m i s s i l e s c e n a r i o .
Yet, w i t h few o t h e r s i g n i f i c a n t leads except t h e wreckage and t h e b o d i e s , t h e
source s a i d t h e FBI w i l l ask l o c a l p o l i c e t o review a l l c o m p l a i n t s , summonses
and unusual i n c i d e n t s i n r e c e n t weeks.
I n t h a t c o n t e x t , t h e newfound wreckage - i n c l u d i n g one p i e c e s a i d t o be 4 5
f e e t t a l l - and t h e evidence i t might h o l d loomed l a r g e i n t h e i n v e s t i g a t i o n
yesterday.
"The more we l o o k a t i t , t h e more we t h i n k t h a t t h i s may c o n t a i n a f a i r l y
h i g h percentage o f t h e wreckage," s a i d Robert F r a n c i s , who i s heading t h e
f e d e r a l probe i n t o t h e c r a s h f o r t h e N a t i o n a l T r a n s p o r t a t i o n S a f e t y Board.
At an e a r l i e r news conference, Gov. George P a t a k i s a i d , "We b e l i e v e t h e r e
w i l l be dozens and dozens o f a d d i t i o n a l bodies recovered t h a t w i l l be a b l e t o be
i d e n t i f i e d and r e t u r n e d t o t h e i r f a m i l i e s . . . We hope t h a t tomorrow
s i g n i f i c a n t p i e c e s o f wreckage can be r e t r i e v e d . "
F r a n c i s s a i d t h e r e "are no bodies we have d i s c o v e r e d " o t h e r t h a n t h e t h r e e
t h a t d i v e r s found y e s t e r d a y and brought t o shore. But i n a statement i s s u e d l a s t
n i g h t P a t a k i ' s o f f i c e stood by t h e governor's e s t i m a t e , s a y i n g i t came a f t e r a
b r i e f i n g by i n v e s t i g a t o r s . "He a l s o understands t h e r e ' s r e l u c t a n c e t o c o n f i r m
r e p o r t s u n t i l i t ' s a c t u a l l y done," s a i d Zenia Mucha, P a t a k i ' s d i r e c t o r o f
communications.
The t h r e e bodies recovered y e s t e r d a y brought t o 108 t h e number t h a t have
a l r e a d y been r e t r i e v e d . O f f i c i a l s were c a r e f u l t o s t r e s s t h a t b r i n g i n g t h e
remains o f t h e 230 v i c t i m s t o t h e s u r f a c e remains t h e i r p r i o r i t y .
One o f t h e f i r s t o f t h e v i c t i m s t o be b u r i e d - Renee Greene, 64, o f N o r t h
Woodmere - was remembered i n a f u n e r a l s e r v i c e i n H e w l e t t , and a s e r i e s o f
memorial s e r v i c e s and f u n e r a l s a r e planned f o r today f o r o t h e r v i c t i m s whose
remains have been r e l e a s e d t o t h e i r f a m i l i e s .
Last n i g h t , 900 mourners crowded i n t o one such memorial s e r v i c e , f o r Vera and
D e i r d r e Feeney, who were on a mother and daughter t r i p t o France. " T h e i r l i v e s
were t r a g i c a l l y c u t s h o r t , " s a i d Rev. Peter Pflomm a t t h e Church o f N o t r e Dame
i n t h e i r hometown o f New Hyde Park. "They punched h o l e s o f l i g h t i n t h e
darkness."
Seventy-seven o f t h e bodies have been i d e n t i f i e d by t h e S u f f o l k County
Medical Examiner's O f f i c e , which has been a b l e t o n o t i f y 70 o f t h e f a m i l i e s ,
i n c l u d i n g t h a t o f B e v e r l y Hammer o f Long Beach e a r l y y e s t e r d a y .
Hammer was i d e n t i f i e d based on d e s c r i p t i o n s o f h e r scars p r o v i d e d by h e r
husband, R i c h a r d , who a l s o p i c k e d out h e r j e w e l e r y from photos t h e m e d i c a l
examiner p r o v i d e d . " I s t a r t e d g o i n g t h r o u g h t h e p i c t u r e s and I s a i d Bingo,
�Page 13
Newsday, July 24, 1996
t h e r e ' s h e r wedding band," s a i d R i c h a r d Hammer. " I t matches mine p e r f e c t l y . "
"I
are,"
The
X-ray
r e a l l y g r i e v e f o r people who . . . have no idea where t h e i r l o v e d ones
s a i d Hammer, who a l s o l o s t h i s daughter, Tracy Anne, i n t h e e x p l o s i o n .
o f f i c e r e i t e r a t e d i t s request f o r i n f o r m a t i o n such as d e n t a l r e c o r d s o r
m a t e r i a l t h a t c o u l d be used t o a s s i g n i d e n t i t i e s t o t h e o t h e r s .
A h i g h - l e v e l county source s a i d t h e medical examiner, Dr. Charles W e t l i , has
a l s o t u r n e d "some t h i n g s " over t o a team o f FBI e x p e r t s s t a t i o n e d a t t h e o f f i c e .
The source c o u l d n o t say how much m a t e r i a l o r d e s c r i b e i t s n a t u r e . Another
source s a i d t h e FBI has requested t h a t W e t l i scrape up e v e r y t h i n g n o t n o r m a l l y
on a body - b i t s o f i n s u l a t i o n , metal o r p l a s t i c - f o r t h e i r a n a l y s i s .
But t h e source s a i d i n v e s t i g a t o r s have g i v e n t h e medical examiner's o f f i c e an
e x t e n s i v e c h e c k l i s t o f chemical substances t h a t might i n d i c a t e an e x p l o s i o n . The
c h e c k l i s t r e q u i r e s a more e x t e n s i v e round o f t e s t s and chemical analyses t h a n
would be n o r m a l l y r e q u i r e d i n an autopsy, and t h e o f f i c e has a l s o been asked t o
keep samples t h a t c o u l d be t e s t e d l a t e r on, t h e source s a i d .
Even i f t h e medical examiner f i n d s something unusual i n h i s a u t o p s i e s ,
drawing c o n c l u s i o n s from t h e work can be d i f f i c u l t , a c c o r d i n g t o a w e l l - p l a c e d
c o u n t e r t e r r o r i s m source who c i t e d one example from e a r l i e r i n t h e i n v e s t i g a t i o n .
"The medical examiner d i s c o v e r e d a s t r a n g e m a t e r i a l over a l l o f t h e b o d i e s ,
and t h e y s a i d , Wait a minute, what t h e h e l l i s t h i s ? ' , " s a i d t h e source. "They
went t h r o u g h t h e passenger m a n i f e s t , t h e cargo m a n i f e s t , and t h e y found o u t t h a t
i n t h e cargo h o l d t h e r e was a b i g shipment d e s t i n e d f o r France o f g l i t t e r ,
show-biz g l i t t e r , those s h i n y l i t t l e t h i n g s you p u t on t h e f a c e , l o o k s l i k e
gold."
But w h i l e t h e r e v e l a t i o n suggested t h e cargo h o l d r u p t u r e d d u r i n g t h e
e x p l o s i o n , i t d i d n o t n e c e s s a r i l y i n d i c a t e t h a t a bomb o r m i s s i l e caused t h e
r u p t u r e , t h e source s a i d , because t h e same bodies c o n t a i n e d no bomb r e s i d u e .
The salvage o p e r a t i o n
bodies s p o t t e d y e s t e r d a y
because P a t a k i s a i d many
Monday i n waters r a n g i n g
f o r F l i g h t 800 w i l l have t o b e g i n i n e a r n e s t b e f o r e t h e
can be r e t r i e v e d f o r e i t h e r i d e n t i f i c a t i o n o r evidence,
a r e e n t a n g l e d i n t h e wreckage t h a t i n v e s t i g a t o r s found
from 100 t o 14 0 f e e t deep.
The wreckage i s strewn over an area about 1 1/2 m i l e s l o n g and one m i l e wide,
about 18 t o 20 m i l e s o f f shore, a c c o r d i n g t o o f f i c i a l s . The temperature a t t h a t
depth i s r a n g i n g between 41 and 52 degrees, t h e o f f i c i a l s s a i d .
Navy sonar equipment, v i d e o cameras and t h e v i s u a l o b s e r v a t i o n s o f about 3 0
scuba d i v e r s from t h e Navy, t h e S t a t e P o l i c e and t h e New York C i t y p o l i c e were
employed t o map t h e wreckage, a process t h a t P a t a k i s a i d l a i d t h e groundwork f o r
removing bodies and p i e c e s o f t h e p l a n e .
"You're l o o k i n g underwater, t h r o u g h water t h a t ' s murky t o b e g i n w i t h , and
t h e n you're l o o k i n g i n s i d e p i e c e s o f f u s e l a g e o r under p i e c e s o f d e b r i s and
making an e s t i m a t e , " P a t a k i s a i d . "So t h a t ' s why we can't g i v e a c l e a r number.
But c l e a r l y i t ' s dozens and dozens o f bodies."
There a r e a l s o l o g i s t i c a l d i f f i c u l t i e s . The d i v e r s i n t h e water
yesterday
�Page 14
Newsday, July 24,
1996
were n o t a b l e t o s t a y down f o r more than 13 t o 18 minutes a t t h a t depth, t h e
o u t e r l i m i t f o r scuba d i v e r s w i t h o u t r i s k i n g decompression s i c k n e s s , a dangerous
b u i l d - u p o f n i t r o g e n i n the b l o o d a l s o known as t h e "bends."
W i t h so much t e r r i t o r y t o e x p l o r e , and such urgency a t t a c h e d t o t h e r e t r i e v a l
of bodies and t h e search f o r evidence, some d i v e r s have a l r e a d y pushed t h e edges
of t h a t l i m i t . But t h e r i s k s became c l e a r when two d i v e r s g o t cases o f t h e bends
Monday n i g h t a f t e r s t a y i n g a t 140 f e e t f o r 15 t o 20 minutes.
The two, whose names were not r e l e a s e d by o f f i c i a l s , were t a k e n t o John T.
Mather Memorial H o s p i t a l i n P o r t J e f f e r s o n , which has a h y p e r b a r i c chamber used
to t r e a t t h e bends, and t h e y were t r e a t e d and r e l e a s e d . But t h e search i s b e i n g
slowed by such c o n s t r a i n t s .
Today, however, some o f those problems w i l l be r e s o l v e d when Navy d i v e r s
aboard t h e n a v a l salvage s h i p Grasp can use s u r f a c e - s u p p l i e d a i r , a system t h a t
p i p e s a i r from t h e s h i p s t o t h e d i v e r s and a l l o w s them t o remain i n t h e water
f o r up t o 90 minutes. At l e a s t 60 d i v e r s w i l l be a v a i l a b l e today, F r a n c i s s a i d .
The d i v e r s c o u l d n o t use s u r f a c e - s u p p l i e d a i r y e s t e r d a y because i t i n t e r f e r e s
w i t h t h e sonar b e i n g used t o map t h e wreckage.
Most o t h e r p a r t s o f t h e plane are s t i l l b e i n g brought t o t h e former Grumman
p l a n t i n C a l v e r t o n , where i n v e s t i g a t o r s c o n t i n u e t o t r y t o r e c o n s t r u c t t h e
Boeing 747 w i t h t h e aim of u n d e r s t a n d i n g how and where i t broke a p a r t .
But n e i t h e r t h a t e f f o r t , nor t h e chemical t e s t s and salvage o p e r a t i o n , were
a b l e t o p r o v i d e d e f i n i t i v e answers about t h e cause o f t h e c r a s h f o r t h e
f a m i l i e s o f v i c t i m s , many o f whom remain a t t h e Ramada Plaza H o t e l near Kennedy
Airport.
"What I was t o l d by TWA i s we're s t i l l a v e r a g i n g 180 f a m i l i e s here," s a i d
Edward Hardy o f t h e G r e a t e r New York Red Cross. "Our c o u n s e l o r s f e l t some o f t h e
f a m i l i e s have some degree of c l o s u r e , but a g a i n t h a t i s a p e r c e p t i o n and i t
doesn't a p p l y t o a l l f a m i l i e s . "
I n a move t h a t t h e a u t h o r i t i e s d e s c r i b e d as i n t e n d e d t o p r o t e c t t h e p r i v a c y
of t h e f a m i l i e s , P o r t A u t h o r i t y p o l i c e a r r e s t e d a New York Post r e p o r t e r on
Monday n i g h t because she was i n an area r e s e r v e d f o r f a m i l i e s and was w e a r i n g a
p i n t h a t i d e n t i f i e d her as a f a m i l y member.
The r e p o r t e r , Tonice S g r i g n o l i , was charged w i t h c r i m i n a l t r e s p a s s i n g ,
c r i m i n a l i m p e r s o n a t i o n , p e t t y l a r c e n y , and possession of s t o l e n p r o p e r t y ,
a c c o r d i n g t o a statement by George M a r l i n , the e x e c u t i v e d i r e c t o r o f t h e P o r t
Authority.
S g r i g n o l i d i d n o t r e t u r n c a l l s seeking comment y e s t e r d a y , b u t t h e e d i t o r o f
the Post, Ken Chandler, i s s u e d a statement t h a t s a i d , "We b e l i e v e t h a t our
coverage o f t h i s t r a g e d y has been s e n s i t i v e t o t h e p l i g h t o f t h e f a m i l i e s . The
Post a p o l o g i z e s t o a l l concerned i f t h e r e was any i n a p p r o p r i a t e b e h a v i o r . "
But t e n s i o n among t h e f a m i l i e s , TWA and New York C i t y Mayor Rudolph G i u l i a n i
a p p a r e n t l y eased somewhat y e s t e r d a y . G i u l i a n i , who l a s t week accused TWA o f
abandoning t h e f a m i l i e s w i t h i n s u f f i c i e n t i n f o r m a t i o n i m m e d i a t e l y a f t e r t h e
c r a s h , s a i d y e s t e r d a y h i s comments had been "misconstrued" and s a i d TWA
�Page 15
Newsday, July 24, 1996
r a n k - a n d - f i l e employees had,
"done a w o n d e r f u l j o b . "
And as TWA employees h e l p e d f a m i l i e s a t Kennedy g a t h e r i n f o r m a t i o n f o r d e a t h
c e r t i f i c a t e and f u n e r a l s , Hardy s a i d , "The i m p r e s s i o n t h a t o u r c o u n s e l o r s a r e
g e t t i n g i s yes, perhaps anger i s d i s s i p a t i n g . "
GRAPHIC: 1) Newsday photo by Kevin Lysaght- A l Catalano, Andrea Donadio and
Monika Hamada a t Smith P o i n t y e s t e r d a y . 2) Newsday photo by Thomas A. F e r r a r a Coast Guard p e r s o n n e l search f o r d e b r i s 25 t o 30 m i l e s from c r a s h s i t e . 3)
Newsday Cover C o l o r Photo by Kevin Lysaght- Margaret Nolan o f M a s t i c Beach was
one o f many people who v i s i t e d t h e memorial s i t e a t Smith P o i n t y e s t e r d a y
LANGUAGE: Eng1i Sh
LOAD-DATE: J u l y 24, 1996
�Page 6
LEVEL 1 - 3 OF 6 STORIES
C o p y r i g h t 1996 The New York Times Company
The New York Times
J u l y 24, 1996,
Wednesday, Late E d i t i o n - F i n a l
SECTION: S e c t i o n B; Page 5; Column 1; M e t r o p o l i t a n Desk
LENGTH: 1059
words
HEADLINE: THE FATE OF FLIGHT 800: LEGAL IMPLICATIONS;
F a m i l i e s and Lawyers Are Warned That A i r l i n e ' s L i a b i l i t y May Be L i m i t e d
BYLINE:
By JAN HOFFMAN
BODY:
A l t h o u g h many bodies from t h e c r a s h o f Trans World A i r l i n e s F l i g h t 800 l a s t
week have y e t t o be found, some lawyers have a l r e a d y found c l i e n t s t o sue t h e
c a r r i e r . The f r e n z y i s on: lawyers have sent out press r e l e a s e s p r a i s i n g t h e i r
e x p e r t i s e , and i n q u i r i e s t o members o f t h e s m a l l c o t e r i e o f a v i a t i o n - l a w
s p e c i a l i s t s are p o u r i n g i n . A h a n d f u l o f f a m i l i e s have a l r e a d y s i g n e d on.
But t h e D i s t r i c t A t t o r n e y s o f S u f f o l k and Queens c o u n t i e s , and t h e bar
a s s o c i a t i o n s from Pennsylvania, F l o r i d a , and Texas as w e l l as New York, have
been warning lawyers t h a t d i r e c t s o l i c i t a t i o n o f c l i e n t s i s a c r i m e . C i t y and
s t a t e bar o f f i c i a l s are assembling a team o f lawyers who w i l l g i v e f r e e l e g a l
a d v i c e t o r e l a t i v e s w h i l e r e f u s i n g t o accept any cases themselves, s t a r t i n g
p o s s i b l y as soon as today.
From a l l t h e ruckus, one would assume t h a t out o f a g r e a t t r a g e d y , m i l l i o n s
can be made. But l e g a l e x p e r t s say compensation from T.W.A. f o r t h i s c r a s h c o u l d
be as low as $75,000 f o r each passenger.
"This i s a v e r y d i f f i c u l t case and t h e amount you can r e c o v e r i s v e r y , v e r y
l i m i t e d , " s a i d Kenneth P. Nolan, whose New York f i r m has been c a l l e d by
r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s o f a h a l f - d o z e n T.W.A. f a m i l i e s .
Hans Ephraimson-Abt, whose 2 3 - y e a r - o l d daughter, A l i c e , d i e d when a S o v i e t
m i s s i l e shot down Korean A i r Lines F l i g h t 007 i n 1983, s a i d f a m i l i e s o f t h e
T.W.A. v i c t i m s s h o u l d be wary o f lawyers hawking t h e i r s e r v i c e s w i t h promises o f
b i g cash awards.
" C l i e n t s s h o u l d never even l i s t e n t o any promises o f money by lawyers because
none o f t h e promises are r e a l i s t i c , " s a i d Mr. Ephraimson-Abt, who has y e t t o see
any money from t h e death o f h i s daughter.
I n f a c t l a w s u i t s a g a i n s t T.W.A. c o u l d r u n i n t o the same t w o f o l d problem t h a t
has slowed cases a g a i n s t Korean A i r L i n e s : F l i g h t 800 was an i n t e r n a t i o n a l r o u t e
and i t crashed i n i n t e r n a t i o n a l waters.
Under t h e Warsaw Convention, a 1929 p a c t g o v e r n i n g t h e l i a b i l i t y o f a i r l i n e s ,
t h e y do n o t have t o pay more than $75,000 t o f a m i l i e s o f passengers who d i e d on
an i n t e r n a t i o n a l f l i g h t . By c o n t r a s t , a domestic a v i a t i o n d i s a s t e r would be
�Page 7
The New York Times, July 24, 1996
s u b j e c t t o s t a n d a r d American law, i n which p l a i n t i f f s have t o prove o n l y t h a t
the c a r r i e r was n e g l i g e n t t o w i n t h e i r case. Awards are t y p i c a l l y f a r more
s u b s t a n t i a l , sometimes r u n n i n g i n t o t h e m i l l i o n s o f d o l l a r s .
I n 1992, Japanese a i r l i n e s announced t h a t i n some c i r c u m s t a n c e s t h e y might be
w i l l i n g t o pay more t h a n t h e $75,000 l i m i t . American A i r l i n e s has a l s o waived
the l i m i t i n two r e c e n t crashes.
Some 4 0 American and i n t e r n a t i o n a l a i r l i n e s have agreed t o waive t h e l i m i t ,
but t h i s w i l l n o t t a k e e f f e c t u n t i l t h e agreement i s f i l e d w i t h t h e Department
of T r a n s p o r t a t i o n . T.W.A. i s n o t y e t p a r t o f t h a t group, s a i d Kent M a r t i n , a
T.W.A. spokesman. Such an agreement would n o t r e t r o a c t i v e l y cover crashes.
There i s a n o t h e r way f o r t h e $75,000 l i m i t t o be waived: i f p l a i n t i f f s can
show t h a t t h e a i r l i n e committed " w i l l f u l misconduct" -- f o r example, t h a t i t
k n o w i n g l y i g n o r e d o r v i o l a t e d s t a n d a r d s a f e t y measures. Then, new t r i a l s o r
s e t t l e m e n t s f o r more money can be sought.
W i l l f u l misconduct i s d i f f i c u l t and expensive t o prove. Lawyers have
s u c c e s s f u l l y overcome i t i n about 10 cases s i n c e t h e Warsaw Convention was
s i g n e d . They d i d so i n t h e Korean A i r L i n e s downing, i n which t h e y p r o v e d t h a t
the p i l o t had s t r a y e d i n t o S o v i e t a i r space; and i n t h e 1988 bombing o f Pan
American F l i g h t 103 over L o c k e r b i e , S c o t l a n d , by p r o v i n g t h a t Pan Am d i d n o t
match baggage w i t h i t s passenger l i s t .
But many awards i n those two cases have s t i l l n o t been made. A r u l i n g b y t h e
U n i t e d S t a t e s Supreme Court i n January on t h e K.A.L. 007 case u n d e r l i n e s t h e
second p o t e n t i a l problem i n t h e T.W.A. case. I f t h e Warsaw Convention l i m i t s a r e
set a s i d e by a showing o f w i l l f u l misconduct, a n o t h e r s e t o f laws must be
a p p l i e d t o d e t e r m i n e damages.
To t h e c h a g r i n o f t h e F l i g h t 007 f a m i l i e s who had n o t s e t t l e d t h e i r cases,
the Supreme Court s a i d t h a t i f a f l i g h t crashes i n i n t e r n a t i o n a l w a t e r s and t h e
p l a i n t i f f s a r e s u i n g i n an American c o u r t , damage awards w i l l be based on a
F e d e r a l law c a l l e d t h e Death on t h e High Seas A c t .
That a c t says s u r v i v o r s are n o t e n t i t l e d t o j u r y t r i a l s and t h a t damages a r e
c o n f i n e d o n l y t o t h e economic w o r t h o f t h e passenger t o s u r v i v o r s . So t h e l i f e
of a middle-aged head o f a f a m i l y would be v a l u e d a t f a r more t h a n t h a t o f a
r e t i r e d person, a homemaker o r a young c h i l d .
Teen-agers and c o l l e g e s t u d e n t s l i k e t h e members o f t h e M o n t o u r s v i l l e , Pa.,
French c l u b f a l l i n t o a g r a y area: lawyers must show t h a t t h e young p e r s o n would
have become a wage-earner and would have been a b l e t o g i v e money t o t h e i r
parents out of t h e i r s a l a r i e s .
1
P o s s i b l y a n t i c i p a t i n g such a s i t u a t i o n , T.W.A. s i n s u r a n c e agents have
a l r e a d y asked f a m i l i e s o f F l i g h t 800 passengers t o f i l l o u t forms, s t a t i n g
whether t h e r e l a t i v e smoked c i g a r e t t e s , s a i d M. V i c t o r i a Cummock, whose husband
d i e d i n t h e L o c k e r b i e c r a s h and who i s a d v i s i n g T.W.A. f a m i l i e s . While t h e
m e d i c a l examiner's o f f i c e s a i d i t needed t h e forms t o h e l p i d e n t i f y t h e v i c t i m s ,
Ms. Cummock s a i d i n f o r m a t i o n i n them c o u l d be used a g a i n s t f a m i l i e s i n
s e t t l e m e n t n e g o t i a t i o n s when t h e q u e s t i o n o f l i f e expectancy and economic w o r t h
would be r a i s e d .
�Page 8
The New York Times, July 24,
1996
" I know t h a t t h e r e were insurance forms and i n s u r a n c e agents who were t h e r e
v e r y , v e r y e a r l y on," Mayor Rudolph W G i u l i a n i remarked y e s t e r d a y .
.
C a l l s t o U n i t e d S t a t e s A v i a t i o n U n d e r w r i t e r s I n c . , T.W.A.'s i n s u r a n c e agency,
were n o t r e t u r n e d .
The Death on t h e High Seas Act i s invoked when a c r a s h occurs more t h a n a
"marine league," o r r o u g h l y t h r e e m i l e s , o f f s h o r e ; t h e T.W.A. f l i g h t seems t o
have h i t t h e water about 10 m i l e s o f f Long I s l a n d .
The Warsaw Convention and t h e Death on t h e High Seas Act a p p l y o n l y t o
t i c k e t e d passengers. The T.W.A. crew and, p o s s i b l y , o f f - d u t y s t a f f t r a v e l i n g on
the j e t can c l a i m even l e s s than e i t h e r t h e $75,000 o r t h e economic l o s s : t h e y
can seek o n l y worker's compensation.
But as Lee S. K r e i n d l e r , a lawyer f o r t h e L o c k e r b i e p l a i n t i f f s , n o t e d , i f a
problem w i t h a s e c u r i t y system o r a mechanical m a l f u n c t i o n i s found t h a t i s n o t
under t h e c o n t r o l o f t h e c a r r i e r , a l l p l a i n t i f f s , i n c l u d i n g f a m i l i e s o f T.W.A.
employees, may be a b l e t o seek much g r e a t e r awards from o t h e r d e f e n d a n t s . Those
c o u l d i n c l u d e makers o f t h e a i r c r a f t , l i k e Boeing, o r f i r m s t h a t oversee some
aspect o f s e c u r i t y enforcement.
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH
LOAD-DATE: J u l y 24, 1996
�Page 13
LEVEL 1 - 5 OF 6 STORIES
C o p y r i g h t 1996 Sun-Sentinel Company
Sun-Sentinel ( F o r t Lauderdale)
J u l y 24, 1996,
SECTION: NATIONAL,
Wednesday,
FINAL EDITION
Pg. 9A
LENGTH: 3 75 words
HEADLINE: FAMILIES OF FLIGHT 800 VICTIMS BEGIN HIRING ATTORNEYS
BYLINE: MICHAEL E. YOUNG; S t a f f W r i t e r ; I n f o r m a t i o n from Sun-Sentinel
s e r v i c e s was used t o supplement
wire
BODY:
I t has been l e s s t h a n a week s i n c e TWA F l i g h t 800 exploded o f f t h e Long
I s l a n d c o a s t , b u t f a m i l i e s o f t h e 230 v i c t i m s a l r e a d y have s t a r t e d t o h i r e
a t t o r n e y s f o r what c o u l d become an enormously d i f f i c u l t l e g a l f i g h t .
At l e a s t two f a m i l i e s have signed w i t h New York a t t o r n e y Lee K r e i n d l e r , t h e
l e a d p l a i n t i f f s a t t o r n e y i n l i t i g a t i o n w i t h Pan Am and i t s i n s u r e r s a f t e r t h e
1988 bombing o f a Pan Am 747 over L o c k e r b i e , S c o t l a n d . Other f i r m s i n v o l v e d i n
the L o c k e r b i e case, which c o u l d have s t r o n g p a r a l l e l s w i t h t h e TWA e x p l o s i o n
l a s t Wednesday, a l s o have been c o n t a c t e d by f a m i l i e s .
Lawsuits a g a i n s t a i r l i n e s and t h e i r i n s u r e r s i n v a r i a b l y f o l l o w p l a n e crashes,
b u t circumstances i n t h e e x p l o s i o n o f F l i g h t 800 make t h i s case d i f f e r e n t t h a n
most.
Since t h e f l i g h t was bound from New York t o P a r i s , a l l s e t t l e m e n t s are
covered by t h e Geneva Convention, a m u l t i - n a t i o n a l agreement t h a t l i m i t s
payments t o U.S. c i t i z e n s t o $ 75,000, s a i d John Howie, an a t t o r n e y i n D a l l a s
who s p e c i a l i z e s i n a i r l i n e l i t i g a t i o n and r e p r e s e n t s s e v e r a l f a m i l i e s o f t h e May
c r a s h o f a V a l u J e t DC-9 i n t h e Everglades.
The o n l y e x c e p t i o n t o t h e $ 75,000 cap comes i n cases o f w i l l f u l misconduct.
I n 1992, a B r o o k l y n j u r y found Pan Am and i t s s e c u r i t y c o n s u l t a n t g u i l t y o f
w i l l f u l misconduct f o r a l l o w i n g a s u i t c a s e c o n t a i n i n g e x p l o s i v e s onto t h e Boeing
747. K r e i n d l e r and o t h e r a t t o r n e y s i n t h e L o c k e r b i e case used t h a t t o w i n
m u l t i m i l l i o n d o l l a r v e r d i c t s a g a i n s t t h e a i r l i n e and i t s i n s u r e r s , i n c l u d i n g a $
19 m i l l i o n v e r d i c t l a s t year.
But t h e TWA case i s f u r t h e r c o m p l i c a t e d by t h e c r a s h s i t e , i n t h e A t l a n t i c
Ocean about n i n e m i l e s from t h e Long I s l a n d coast. That means s e t t l e m e n t s a l s o
f a l l under t h e U.S. Death on t h e High Seas Act, a law d a t i n g t o t h e 1920s t h a t
l i m i t s payments t o a c t u a l economic losses and p r o h i b i t s j u r y t r i a l s , where t h e
l a r g e s t s e t t l e m e n t s are u s u a l l y handed down.
That means t h e p a r e n t s o f 16 French c l u b s t u d e n t s from M o n t o u r s v i l l e , Pa.,
f o r example, may n o t be a b l e t o c o l l e c t a n y t h i n g from TWA s i n c e t h e i r c h i l d r e n
d i d n o t p r o v i d e f o r them e c o n o m i c a l l y .
�Page 14
Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale), July 24, 1996
" I t i s a v e r y Draconian t e s t t h a t b a s i c a l l y says those l i v e s a r e cheap,"
Howie s a i d . "That's a h o r r i b l e law f o r these p a r e n t s . I t doesn't r e c o g n i z e
t h e i r real loss."
LOAD-DATE: J u l y 24, 1996
�Page 6
LEVEL 1 - 3 OF 15 STORIES
C o p y r i g h t 1996 Times M i r r o r Company
Los Angeles Times
J u l y 24, 1996,
Wednesday,
Home E d i t i o n
SECTION: L i f e & S t y l e ; P a r t E; Page 1; View Desk
LENGTH: 1545
words
HEADLINE: THE GATES OF GRIEF REOPENED;
THE PAIN NEVER ENDS, THOSE WHO LOST LOVED ONES IN LOCKERBIE WARN FAMILIES OF
CRASH VICTIMS
TWA
BYLINE: BEVERLY BEYETTE, TIMES STAFF WRITER
BODY:
Almost e i g h t years have passed s i n c e these f a m i l i e s ' l i v e s were s h a t t e r e d by
a d i s a s t e r i n t h e sky. On Dec. 21, 1988, a bomb p l a n t e d by t e r r o r i s t s exploded
on New York-bound Pan Am F l i g h t 103 above L o c k e r b i e , S c o t l a n d , k i l l i n g a l l 259
aboard and 11 on t h e ground.
Now, t h e e x p l o s i o n o f TWA F l i g h t 800, w i t h 230 dead and s p e c u l a t i o n t h a t i t
may have been a d e l i b e r a t e a c t o f v i o l e n c e . "Here we go a g a i n , d e j a vu," says
Susan Cohen o f Cape May Court House, N.J., whose o n l y c h i l d , Theodora, 20, d i e d
i n t h e Pan Am c r a s h .
The TWA c r a s h has reopened e m o t i o n a l wounds t h a t , f o r some Pan Am
f a m i l i e s , had f i n a l l y begun t o h e a l .
103
L i k e t h e TWA v i c t i m s ' f a m i l i e s , t h e Pan Am f a m i l i e s s u f f e r e d f r u s t r a t i n g
d e l a y s i n i d e n t i f i c a t i o n o f bodies, a l o n g w a i t t o l e a r n t h e cause o f t h e
e x p l o s i o n and what t h e y p e r c e i v e d t o be c a l l o u s or i n d i f f e r e n t b e h a v i o r by
a i r l i n e personnel.
For most, t h e l e g a l book i s now c l o s e d . Only about 10 o f t h e 225 l a w s u i t s
a g a i n s t t h e a i r l i n e remain u n r e s o l v e d , says Lee K r e i n d l e r , a New York a t t o r n e y
who was l e a d counsel f o r t h e p l a i n t i f f s . A c o r p o r a t e e x e c u t i v e ' s w i f e was
awarded $ 19 m i l l i o n - - n o w under appeal--but f o r those who l o s t c h i l d r e n , r e a l i t y
was more l i k e $ 575,000 minus lawyer's f e e s .
But Eleanor B r i g h t o f Dover, Mass., who l o s t her husband, N i c h o l a s , and won a
s e t t l e m e n t , says, " I f your husband or your c h i l d or your p a r e n t o r your s i s t e r
or your b r o t h e r was murdered, t h e r e i s no amount o f money t h a t w i l l ever b r i n g
you s a t i s f a c t i o n . "
Here are t h e s t o r i e s o f t h r e e Pan Am 103 f a m i l i e s , t h e i r r o l l e r c o a s t e r
e m o t i o n a l j o u r n e y s , how t h e y coped and t h e g r i e f t h e y w i l l t a k e w i t h them t o
t h e i r own graves.
�Page 7
Los Angeles Times, July 24, 1996
The news o f t h e TWA c r a s h made Hope A s r e l s k y p h y s i c a l l y i l l . "When i t
happened t o us," she says, " I f e l t detached, stunned, as though I were i n a
movie w a t c h i n g myself . . . b u t t h i s one, i t j u s t went r i g h t t o t h e g u t . "
Remembering h e r daughter, Rachel, a 2 1 - y e a r - o l d s e n i o r a t G r i n n e l l C o l l e g e i n
Iowa who'd been s t u d y i n g i n Florence, I t a l y , A s r e l s k y doesn't e l e v a t e h e r t o
s a i n t h o o d . "My g i r l , she was n o t easy t o l i v e w i t h , always t e l l i n g people what
t o do and how t o do i t b e t t e r . T r o u b l e i s , she was u s u a l l y r i g h t . She was so
smart, so tough, always pushing. She would have done something p o w e r f u l , I
think."
For f i v e y e a r s , A s r e l s k y marched and demonstrated w i t h o t h e r f a m i l i e s , making
sure t h e dead would n o t be f o r g o t t e n . Then, she says, " I t j u s t seemed t i m e t o
l e t go."
She wouldn't a l l o w h e r s e l f t o be swallowed up by h e r g r i e f . " I t would do no
honor t o t h e dead j u s t t o g i v e up. And I had t h i n g s t o do," i n c l u d i n g r a i s i n g
her son, John, t h e n 14.
For a w h i l e , a p a r t - t i m e j o b and church work were good t h e r a p y . Then, l a s t
September, t u r n i n g 60, she e n r o l l e d i n a v e t e r i n a r y t e c h n i c i a n course and i s now
i n t e r n i n g a t an animal h o s p i t a l .
Since l o s i n g Rachel, she says, "I'm much more ready t o jump i n and do t h i n g s .
What am I w a i t i n g f o r ? I c o u l d walk i n t o a subway murderer tomorrow."
At t h e Manhattan h i g h - r i s e where t h e A s r e l s k y s l i v e , she h e l p s t e n d a l i t t l e
garden where a plaque honors Rachel's memory. Some o f Rachel's ashes a r e t h e r e .
Some a r e s c a t t e r e d i n Florence, where she spent happy t i m e s .
These days, when A s r e l s k y goes t o h e r c o l l e g e r e u n i o n s , t h i n g s a r e d i f f e r e n t .
Once, she says, classmates bragged t o h e r about t h e i r p e r f e c t , b e a u t i f u l
c h i l d r e n d o i n g w o n d e r f u l , i m p o r t a n t t h i n g s . Now t h e y t e l l h e r "about t h e i r son
who's 19 and sober a f t e r b e i n g an a l c o h o l i c f o r t h r e e years o r t h e c h i l d who's
been i n a mental i n s t i t u t i o n f o r 25 y e a r s . "
She says, "I'm t h e one t h e y can t a l k to"--and she's honored. "I'm reminded
more and more t h a t , no m a t t e r how we l o o k on t h e o u t s i d e , most o f us have wounds
and s c r a t c h e s and scars i n s i d e , and o t h e r people have problems worse t h a n mine."
S t i l l , t h e A s r e l s k y s a r e b i t t e r . Angry a t t h e i r government f o r " p l a y i n g
f o o t s i e " w i t h c o u n t r i e s t h a t s h e l t e r t e r r o r i s t s . Angry w i t h Pan Am, whose
s e c u r i t y measures, t h e y contend, were "a j o k e . "
To Rachel's f a t h e r , A r n o l d A s r e l s k y , an E n g l i s h p r o f e s s o r , t h e TWA c r a s h w i t h
i t s p o s s i b i l i t y o f h a v i n g been caused by t e r r o r i s t s i s a wake-up c a l l . "Right
now, we a r e v u l n e r a b l e . No one can say whose b r o t h e r , whose s i s t e r , whose
c h i l d r e n w i l l be k i l l e d i n t h e next one."
�Page 8
Los Angeles Times, July 24, 1996
As Eleanor B r i g h t absorbs t h e media b l i t z around TWA 800, she knows, " I n t h e
l o n g term, t h e memory w i l l fade, except f o r t h e v i c t i m s ' f a m i l i e s . "
I f a t e r r o r i s t bomb d i d blow up TWA 800, she asks, "What have we l e a r n e d from
Lockerbie? A l l those people on Pan Am 103 were murdered, i n c l u d i n g my husband,
and y e t i t d i d n ' t do any good. H i s death d i d n ' t seem t o change a n y t h i n g . "
N i c h o l a s B r i g h t , 32, o f Dover, Mass., a business c o n s u l t a n t , had been i n
London s e e i n g c l i e n t s and had booked a r e t u r n on B r i t i s h Airways. A l a t e meeting
f o r c e d a s w i t c h t o Pan Am 103.
Eleanor B r i g h t g o t t h e o f f i c i a l word o f h i s death from a Pan Am r e p who
c a l l e d e i g h t hours a f t e r t h e e x p l o s i o n . The message: "I'm s o r r y , Mrs. B r i g h t .
Your husband t u r n e d i n h i s coupon." I t was t h e f i r s t o f t h e n i g h t m a r i s h j o l t s
t h a t would f o l l o w .
The "buddy" assigned h e r by Pan Am c o u l d n ' t d e a l w i t h her, f i n a l l y t e l l i n g
her, "You make me u n c o m f o r t a b l e . " She o n l y wanted t o know i f h e r husband's body
had been i d e n t i f i e d . F i n a l l y , she f l e w t o L o c k e r b i e where, two weeks a f t e r t h e
crash, she g o t an answer. On Jan. 6, she brought t h e remains home.
Now she sees f a m i l i e s o f TWA 800 v i c t i m s b e i n g assured by w e l l - i n t e n t i o n e d
c o u n s e l o r s t h a t t h e y ' l l s u r v i v e t h i s , t h a t tomorrow w i l l be b r i g h t e r . "That's
t e r r i b l y n a i v e , " B r i g h t says. "You never g e t t h r o u g h i t . Every day i s a s t r u g g l e
to l i v e w i t h o u t t h e person you l o v e d and who was murdered."
Her son, N i c h o l a s , was o n l y a year o l d when he l o s t h i s f a t h e r and. B r i g h t
says, "He i s n o t t h e person he should have been. Nicky i s t h e boy who doesn't
have a f a t h e r , and t h a t a f f e c t s e v e r y t h i n g he does."
B r i g h t remains c l o s e t o her i n - l a w s and she and N i c k y summer w i t h them i n
Maine. "We t a l k about h i s f a t h e r a l o t , s i l l y l i t t l e s t o r i e s . I ' l l say, 'your
f a t h e r l o v e d t h i s ' o r 'daddy would be so proud o f you.' He's v e r y much a p a r t o f
our l i v e s . "
She has v i s i t e d L o c k e r b i e e i g h t t i m e s . "At f i r s t , " she says, " I t gave me an
anchor." Then, "Every time I went, I f i l l e d i n another l i t t l e p i e c e " o f t h e
p u z z l e , t a l k i n g w i t h t h e l o c a l s , i n c l u d i n g t h e farmer on whose l a n d h e r
husband's body was found.
She even corresponded w i t h t h e cabby who drove h e r husband t o Heathrow t h a t
day. She e x p l a i n s , " I needed t o be as c l o s e t o h i s death as p o s s i b l e . " She had
expected t o grow o l d w i t h him, t o be t h e r e t o comfort and care f o r him. "When he
d i e d , t h a t was t a k e n away from me."
I n 1990, p e r s o n a l t r a g e d y s t r u c k again when B r i g h t ' s s i s t e r d i e d o f cancer.
Much as t h a t h u r t , she d i s c o v e r e d i t was f a r d i f f e r e n t from h a v i n g a l o v e d one
murdered, t h e n b e i n g "caught up i n i n t e r n a t i o n a l h e a d l i n e s . That's i n c r e d i b l y
p a i n f u l , a much more complex k i n d o f g r i e f . "
B r i g h t r e c e n t l y a t t e n d e d t h e annual Pan Am 103 "widows' weekend" on Cape Cod.
"There a r e v e r y c l o s e f r i e n d s h i p s . We can l o o k a t each o t h e r and know t h e p a i n
we're f e e l i n g and n o t have t o e x p l a i n . "
�Page 9
Los Angeles Times, July 24, 1996
She has n o t r e m a r r i e d . "He was t h e l o v e o f my l i f e . "
Susan Cohen, 58, makes no p r e t e x t o f s t i f l i n g her anger. "Seven and a h a l f
years s i n c e my daughter d i e d o n l y because she was an American c i t i z e n on an
American plane--and nobody has done a n y t h i n g . "
A f t e r Theodora Cohen p e r i s h e d on Pan Am 103, D a n i e l and Susan Cohen,
c h i l d r e n ' s book a u t h o r s , r e s e t t l e d i n New Jersey. The memories i n t h e P o r t
J e r v i s , N.Y., house where Theo had l i v e d , were "unbearable."
Susan says, " I n a way, I d i e d on Dec. 21, 1988--my o n l y c h i l d , a b r i g h t ,
t a l e n t e d g i r l dead a t t h e age o f 20. We p u t our l i v e s i n t o her. She was t h e most
p r e c i o u s t h i n g i n our w o r l d .
" I f e e l l i k e t h e t e r r o r i s t s came a l o n g w i t h t h e d u p l i c i t y o f Pan Am A i r l i n e s
and an a b s o l u t e l y r o t t e n FAA and r i p p e d t h e s o u l out o f me, j u s t r i p p e d i t o u t
o f me, and I am l i v i n g a h a l f - l i f e . "
Cohen i s determined t o g e t j u s t i c e , as she sees i t . To her, t h a t would
i n c l u d e r e f o r m o f t h e FAA and t h e a i r l i n e s e c u r i t y system and a g e t - t o u g h p o l i c y
on t e r r o r i s t s . "The two guys who murdered my daughter, t h e y ' r e n o t j u s t two guys
who went o u t t o blow up a p l a n e . They're h i r e d guns." (Two L i b y a n i n t e l l i g e n c e
agents were i n d i c t e d i n 1991, but have y e t t o be t u r n e d over t o U.S.
authorities.)
When she l o s t Theodora, a Syracuse U n i v e r s i t y drama s t u d e n t who'd been
s t u d y i n g i n London, Susan Cohen was unprepared f o r many t h i n g s . One was t h e
o n s l a u g h t by "the g r i e f i n d u s t r y , " people who l a t c h e d onto v i c t i m s ' f a m i l i e s
l i k e ambulance chasers.
Time h e a l s a l l p a i n , t h e y assured f a m i l i e s . Not so, she says; f u r t h e r , when
one i s p a r t o f a major t r a g e d y " t h e r e ' s no p r i v a c y . I t draws t h e p u b l i c i t y
l o v e r s , t h e people who t h i n k t h e y ' l l make money out o f you somehow, t h e
hangers-on."
Cohen says t h e TWA v i c t i m s ' f a m i l i e s "don't know what's coming. They're s t i l l
i n a s t a t e o f shock. We're t r a u m a t i z e d people. One l i t t l e t h i n g goes wrong, we
go c r a z y . "
F a m i l i e s o f t h e TWA v i c t i m s , she emphasizes, "shouldn't be h e a r i n g l i e s about
moving a l o n g . "
Yes, she i s b i t t e r . Law-abiding, t a x - p a y i n g Americans, she says, s h o u l d n ' t be
rewarded by s e e i n g t h e i r k i d s "coming back i n a box."
GRAPHIC: PHOTO: 'Right now, we are v u l n e r a b l e . No one can say whose b r o t h e r ,
whose s i s t e r , whose c h i l d r e n w i l l be k i l l e d i n t h e next one.' A r n o l d A s r e l s k y ,
w i t h h i s w i f e , Hope, Whose daughter was k i l l e d i n t h e Pan Am F l i g h t 103
e x p l o s i o n PHOTOGRAPHER: JOE TABACCA / For The Times
LANGUAGE: Eng1i sh
�Page 21
LEVEL 1 - 8 OF 15 STORIES
C o p y r i g h t 1996 Newsday, I n c .
Newsday
J u l y 24, 1996, Wednesday,
SECTION: VIEWPOINTS;
NASSAU AND SUFFOLK EDITION
Page A4 7
LENGTH: 12 00 words
HEADLINE: LETTERS
BYLINE: Donna H e r t h . S h i r l e y ; R i c h a r d M. Frauenglass. H u n t i n g t o n ; Mary D.
McHugh. East I s l i p ; Navah Piterman. L i d o Beach; Ralph T. P e r r y . Reno, Nev.; John
F a v i c c h i o . F l u s h i n g ; Michael P. Ceo. N o r t h Bellmore
BODY:
I d e n t i f y i n g V i c t i m s I s Time-Consuming Job
L i k e many Long I s l a n d e r s , I share t h e g r i e f o f t h e f a m i l i e s f o r t h e v i c t i m s
of TWA F l i g h t 800. Of t h e 230 people aboard t h e p l a n e , o n l y 101 r e a s o n a b l y
i d e n t i f i a b l e bodies have been recovered as o f Monday n i g h t . Of course, a l l t h e
f a m i l i e s want t o b r i n g home t h e i r l o v e d ones' remains i m m e d i a t e l y b u t ,
s o r r o w f u l l y , many w i l l go home empty-handed.
I n t h e wake o f t h i s t r a g e d y , I am amazed a t t h e c r i t i c i s m l e v e l e d a g a i n s t t h e
S u f f o l k County medical examiner, Dr. Charles W e t l i , and h i s s t a f f by b o t h Sen.
A l f o n s e D'Amato (R-N.Y.) and Gov. George P a t a k i . C o n s i d e r i n g t h e magnitude o f
the c i r c u m s t a n c e s , i t i s my b e l i e f t h a t these d e d i c a t e d p r o f e s s i o n a l s a r e i n
need o f our p a t i e n c e and s u p p o r t . T h i s i s a t r y i n g t i m e n o t o n l y f o r t h e
v i c t i m s ' f a m i l i e s b u t f o r t h e men and women assigned t o t h i s gruesome and morbid
task.
We s h o u l d r e a l l y t r y t o comprehend t h e r e a l i t y and vastness o f t h i s t r a g e d y
and l e t those i n charge o f i d e n t i f y i n g t h e v i c t i m s do so i n t h e i r own t i m e . A
g r e a t e r t r a g e d y would be sending home t h e wrong remains t o a f a m i l y . Donna
H e r t h . S h i r l e y -- -- -F o r t u n a t e l y I knew no one on F l i g h t 800. A l l I can muster i s a somewhat empty
f e e l i n g , h a v i n g been i n u r e d t o such t r a g e d i e s by a l o n g continuum o f heinous
a c t s p e r p e t r a t e d by man a g a i n s t man and r e p o r t e d i n e x c r u c i a t i n g d e t a i l t o t h e
e x c l u s i o n o f a l l e l s e . I do n o t know how I would have r e a c t e d had i t been
otherwise.
What I do know i s t h a t those who a r e gone can, i n t h e t r a g e d y o f t h e i r
deaths, g i v e l i f e . T h i s i s a c h i e v a b l e by a m e t h o d i c a l a n a l y s i s o f t h e a i r c r a f t
s t r u c t u r e and t h e remains t h a t have been r e t r i e v e d . Yes, i t i s an a g o n i z i n g l y
slow process b u t one t h a t i s necessary t o assure t h e s a f e t y o f a l l o f those who
w i l l venture i n t o the a i r i n the future.
S p e c u l a t i o n , as t h e media a r e so wont t o do, achieves n o t h i n g . R a p i d i t y i n
i n v e s t i g a t i o n opens t h e door t o e r r o r . For p o l i t i c i a n s t o s e i z e on t h e moment t o
t a k e s i d e s i s d i s g u s t i n g . One can mourn w i t h o u t t h e p h y s i c a l body, f o r
�Page 22
Newsday, July 24,
1996
remembrance comes from deeds and a c t i o n s . I f such senseless deaths can have anyl a s t i n g and f i t t i n g memorial, i t w i l l come from t h e i r s i l e n t b u t f o r e n s i c a l l y
e l o q u e n t mouths.
To those bereaved, my h e a r t f e l t sympathy. But i n your i n d i v i d u a l sorrow make
room f o r t h e l i v i n g and, by d o i n g t h a t , you w i l l i n s u r e t h a t t h e ones you g r i e v e
f o r s h a l l n o t have d i e d i n v a i n . Let those who are t r y i n g t o s o l v e t h e p u z z l e do
so w i t h o u t t h e Damoclean sword o f p u b l i c i n v e c t i v e i n i t i a t e d by p r i v a t e g r i e f .
R i c h a r d M. Frauenglass. H u n t i n g t o n -- -- -I t h i n k i t was v e r y u n f a i r o f Russ DeCourcy " P o l i t i c i a n s M i l k e d A i r Tragedy,"
L e t t e r s , J u l y 20 t o c r i t i c i z e e l e c t e d o f f i c i a l s who appeared on t e l e v i s i o n a f t e r
t h e TWA c r a s h . The p r e s i d e n t , t h e governor, t h e mayor and a l l t h e o t h e r
o f f i c i a l s i n t e r v i e w e d were c o r r e c t i n e x p r e s s i n g t h e i r sorrow and dismay. T h i s
was a t e r r i b l e t r a g e d y : so many people l o s i n g t h e i r l i v e s . What d i d DeCourcy
expect them t o do? Overlook what happened and go on w i t h "business as usual"?
I found i t c o m f o r t i n g t h a t so many o f f i c i a l s t o o k the t i m e t o express what
most o f us f e l t - h o r r o r a t t h e l o s s o f l i v e s and sympathy f o r t h e f r i e n d s and
f a m i l i e s o f those l o s t . Mary D. McHugh. East I s l i p -- -- -My c o u s i n Gadi Notes was one o f t h e 230 passengers on TWA F l i g h t 800. Gadi
o n l y came t o t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s from I s r a e l s e v e r a l years ago, and I was j u s t
g e t t i n g t o know him. The funny t h i n g i s t h a t I f e l t as i f I had grown up w i t h
him, because once you met Gadi, you f e l t as i f you'd known him your e n t i r e l i f e .
A f t e r g r a d u a t i n g from T e l A v i v U n i v e r s i t y w i t h honors, Gadi came t o t h e
U n i t e d S t a t e s t o a t t e n d Columbia U n i v e r s i t y . A f t e r g r a d u a t i n g , he began w o r k i n g
on W a l l S t r e e t as an i n v e s t m e n t banker. E v e r y t h i n g seemed t o be f a l l i n g i n t o
p l a c e f o r him. So I s i t and wonder, why Gadi, o r any o f these 230 people?
Gadi was t h e t y p e o f person who would l e n d a hand t o a s t r a n g e r . He would do
a n y t h i n g f o r those he cared about. I remember h i s coming over t o h e l p me w i t h my
s t u d i e s , even when he had h i s own s t u d i e s t o a t t e n d t o .
My sympathy goes o u t t o a l l o f t h e v i c t i m s ' f a m i l i e s ; I don't t h i n k I c o u l d
express what my f a m i l y i s f e e l i n g a t t h i s t i m e . I f t h e r e i s a n y t h i n g I can t e l l
you, i t i s t o r e s p e c t and c h e r i s h your l o v e d ones. Never l e t a day go by w i t h o u t
l e t t i n g them know t h a t you l o v e them. I have l e a r n e d t h r o u g h t h i s t e r r i b l e
t r a g e d y t h a t t h e g i f t o f l i f e i s p r e c i o u s , and you never know when i t c o u l d be
t a k e n away from you. Navah Piterman. L i d o Beach -- -- -I was r a i s e d i n Patchogue and l i v e d f o r many years w i t h i n f i v e m i l e s o f t h e
p l a n e c r a s h s i t e . I'm now l i v i n g i n Nevada, and from what I have seen on TV New
Yorkers are t h e b e s t people. How t h e y have h e l p e d w i t h t h e search i s g r e a t . The
p o l i c e and Coast Guard are by f a r t h e b e s t i n t h e n a t i o n . A l l t h e f i r e
departments and o t h e r rescue agencies i n v o l v e d are d o i n g a g r e a t j o b .
I had been t o l d t h a t my b r o t h e r - i n - l a w might have been on t h a t f l i g h t , and my
b e i n g so f a r away and n o t knowing i f he was o r n o t was a nightmare i n i t s e l f . I
made seven phone c a l l s t o TWA t h e f o l l o w i n g day w i t h no r e s u l t s . A f t e r 21 hours
of w a i t i n g , n o t b e i n g a b l e t o do my j o b , wondering i f he was a l i v e o r dead and
t r y i n g t o c o m f o r t h i s f a m i l y here i n Nevada, we f i n a l l y g o t word he was n o t on
that f l i g h t .
�Page 23
Newsday, July 24, 1996
I know f i r s t h a n d how t h e f a m i l i e s f e l t n o t knowing about t h e i r l o v e d ones.
The response from TWA was f a r t o o slow; t h e company s h o u l d have responded f a s t e r
and b e t t e r t o t h e f a m i l i e s . Bravo t o the mayor o f New York C i t y f o r p u s h i n g f o r
a q u i c k e r response. Ralph T. P e r r y . Reno, Nev. -- -- -R e f e r r i n g t o t h e t r a g e d y o f F l i g h t 800, Rep. Charles Schumer (D-Brooklyn)
s a i d t h a t i n more t h a n a decade I s r a e l has not had such an a i r d i s a s t e r . Do we
have t o w a i t u n t i l another one happens here b e f o r e t a k i n g extreme measures?
We don't know a t t h i s p o i n t whether t h e d e s t r u c t i o n o f F l i g h t 800 was a
t e r r o r i s t a c t . However, I j o i n w i t h Schumer i n i m p l o r i n g t h e a i r l i n e s n o t t o
w a i t a n o t h e r day b e f o r e imposing s t r i c t s a f e t y p r e c a u t i o n s .
My w i f e and I v i s i t e d I s r a e l l a s t December. We went t h r o u g h t h e u s u a l body
and bag search. I t was t h o r o u g h and o r d e r l y . So we l o s t a few minutes - b i g
d e a l . But we g o t home s a f e and sound. Would any sane person mind a l i t t l e d e l a y
i f i t p r e v e n t e d some c r a z y l o o n from t a k i n g over t h e plane? Sure, i t w i l l c o s t
e x t r a money f o r equipment and p e r s o n n e l . We are t a l k i n g about human l i v e s . Can
anyone p u t a p r i c e t a g on t h a t ? We s h o u l d b o y c o t t t h e a i r l i n e s u n t i l t h e y a l l
i n i t i a t e I s r a e l i - t y p e s e c u r i t y . John F a v i c c h i o . F l u s h i n g -- -- -D u r i n g 2 5 years o f t r a v e l i n g on business t h r o u g h o u t t h e c o u n t r y , n o t once
have I n o t i c e d a t i c k e t agent a t t h e c h e c k - i n l i n e v e r i f y t h e name o f t h e
passenger b e i n g t i c k e t e d a g a i n s t t h e t a g on t h e luggage b e i n g checked i n . When I
f l e w from Kennedy A i r p o r t a few months ago, t h e agent asked f o r my p h o t o ID b u t
n o t f o r my w i f e ' s , and she was s t a n d i n g nearby.
These are l o o p h o l e s i n a i r p o r t s e c u r i t y t h a t must be addressed
o f f i c i a l s and t h e F e d e r a l A v i a t i o n A d m i n i s t r a t i o n .
So what i f I'm delayed a few minutes?
mine. M i c h a e l P. Ceo. N o r t h Bellmore
by
airport
Many l i v e s are a t s t a k e , i n c l u d i n g
GRAPHIC: 1) Newsday Photo by B i l l Davis-A memorial s e r v i c e i n East Moriches f o r
the f a m i l i e s who l o s t l o v e d ones i n t h e c r a s h of F l i g h t 800. 2) Newsday Photo by
V. R i c h a r d H a r o - I n t e r n a t i o n a l A r r i v a l s t e r m i n a l a t Kennedy A i r p o r t
LANGUAGE: E n g l i s h
LOAD-DATE: J u l y 24,
1996
�Page 26
LEVEL 1 - 8 7 OF 361 STORIES
C o p y r i g h t 1996 The A t l a n t a C o n s t i t u t i o n
The A t l a n t a J o u r n a l and C o n s t i t u t i o n
J u l y 20, 1996, Saturday,
ALL EDITIONS
SECTION: STATE NEWS; Pg. 06A
LENGTH: 435 words
HEADLINE: CRASH OF TWA FLIGHT 800;
Georgia's v i c t i m s ;
One w o r k i n g dream j o b , o t h e r s f l y i n g t o see f a m i l y , f r i e n d s i n P a r i s
BYLINE: Gayle White and Doug Payne; STAFF WRITERS
BODY:
Athens n a t i v e Debbie C o l l i n s D i L u c c i o had worked more t h a n 1,200
t r a n s - A t l a n t i c t r i p s as a f l i g h t a t t e n d a n t f o r TWA when she d i e d i n t h e
e x p l o s i o n o f F l i g h t 800 en r o u t e t o P a r i s Wednesday.
Lamar A l l e n , 4 1 , and h i s son Ashton, 16, o f M a r i e t t a , were f l y i n g t o P a r i s t o
j o i n o t h e r f a m i l y members on v a c a t i o n when t h e plane went down.
The t h r e e were among a t l e a s t s i x people w i t h Georgia t i e s who d i e d i n t h e
e x p l o s i o n o f t h e plane, which was t r a v e l i n g from New York t o P a r i s when i t went
down i n t h e waters o f f Long I s l a n d .
Rebecca Jane Olsen, 20, o f Macon was f l y i n g t o P a r i s w i t h M i c h e l l e Becker,
f o r m e r l y o f Macon, t o a t t e n d t h e wedding o f a h i g h school f r i e n d , a c c o r d i n g t o
Bobby George, a f r i e n d o f Olsen's f a m i l y .
O f f - d u t y TWA f l i g h t a t t e n d a n t Pamela Cobb McPherson o f A t l a n t a was a l s o on
the p l a n e .
For t h e A l i e n s , t h e t r i p was a v a c a t i o n and an escape from t h e Olympics, a
next-door neighbor s a i d . For D i L u c c i o , f l y i n g was a dream j o b , a c c o r d i n g t o h e r
family.
"Deb graduated from t h e U n i v e r s i t y o f Georgia i n t h e e a r l y 1970s, and every
g i r l ' s dream i s t o see t h e w o r l d a t t h a t p o i n t i n t i m e , " s a i d h e r c o u s i n H a r r y
C o l l i n s . "That's what she d i d . "
With a degree from t h e u n i v e r s i t y ' s Henry W. Grady School o f J o u r n a l i s m ,
C o l l i n s , 47, went t o work f o r TWA and s t u d i e d I t a l i a n so t h a t she c o u l d work
f l i g h t s t o I t a l y , a c c o r d i n g t o f a m i l y members.
While w o r k i n g t h e New York-Rome r o u t e , she met s c h o o l t e a c h e r
D i L u c c i o , and t h e y m a r r i e d i n Rome.
Antonio
D i L u c c i o l i v e d i n t h e s m a l l town o f A g r o p o l i south o f Naples on t h e coast o f
I t a l y w i t h h e r husband and two c h i l d r e n , Lauren, 17, and P.J., 15. F r i e n d s i n
the town gave h e r l i s t s t o shop f o r them d u r i n g h e r l a y o v e r s i n New York,
�Page 27
The Atlanta Journal, July 20, 1996
a c c o r d i n g t o h e r u n c l e , M o r r i s W H. C o l l i n s J r .
.
"She was r e a l l y one o f t h e most v i v a c i o u s women I've ever seen," he s a i d .
"She bubbled over w i t h enthusiasm. She r e a l l y was t h e k i n d o f person you l o o k e d
f o r w a r d t o seeing from t h e time she was a l i t t l e g i r l . "
D i L u c c i o ' s p a r e n t s , Ed and Margie C o l l i n s and h e r b r o t h e r David l i v e i n
C o l b e r t , Ga.
Lamar A l l e n r a n a company, L i n c o l n Investments, o u t o f h i s house on Paper
M i l l Road i n east Cobb.
He and h i s son were meeting h i s w i f e , Ann, and t h e i r o t h e r two c h i l d r e n ,
Cameron, 13, and Amberly, 14, and Mrs. A l l e n ' s mother i n P a r i s , a c c o r d i n g t o
n e i g h b o r s . Because t h e f a m i l y was f l y i n g stand-by, t h e y ended up on s e p a r a t e
f l i g h t s , according t o neighbors.
A memorial s e r v i c e f o r t h e A l i e n s i s expected t o be h e l d a t Johnson F e r r y
B a p t i s t Church, b u t p l a n s won't be d e f i n i t e u n t i l Mrs. A l l e n r e t u r n s from
France, a church spokeswoman s a i d .
GRAPHIC: Color photo and t e a s e r box: (Appeared
s t o r y ) Mug o f Debbie C o l l i n s D i L u c c i o
LOAD-DATE: J u l y 21, 1996
on A/01 w i t h r e f e r e n c e t o A/06
�Page 92
LEVEL 1 - 233 OF 361 STORIES
C o p y r i g h t 1996 Newsday, I n c .
Newsday
J u l y 20, 1996, Saturday,
SECTION: PART I I ;
ALL EDITIONS
Page B06
LENGTH: 446 8 words
HEADLINE: WHO
THEY WERE / THE VICTIMS OF TWA
FLIGHT 800
BYLINE: These p r o f i l e s were r e p o r t e d by J e n n i f e r Ackerman, Stacey A l t h e r r ,
Deborah B a r f i e l d , Barbara Chai, Dexter Chambers, C a r o l Eisenberg, Emi Endo,
S c o t t F a l l o n , Reid F r a z i e r , Beth H o l l a n d , Libusha K e l l y , Chau Lam, Eden L a i k i n ,
Nora McCarthy, E l i z a b e t h Moore, Ken M o r i t s u g u , Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson, Monty
Phan, Robert Polner, Margaret Ramirez, Jordan Rau, Graham Rayman, Helen
Rumbelow, Lynn S c h e f f , Tara S i e g e l , Lauren Terrazzano, L i z W i l l e n , O l i v i a
Winslow, Pat W i e d e n k e l l e r and E l l e n Yan. They were w r i t t e n by M a r t i n C. Evans
and G e o f f r e y Mohan.
BODY:
Barbara Kwan and Lonnie I n g e n h u e t t S c o t t s d a l e , A r i z .
Barbara Kwan, 40, and Lonnie I n g e n h u e t t , 43, a S c o t t s d a l e couple, were
o f f - d u t y TWA f l i g h t a t t e n d a n t s who boarded t h e f l i g h t f o r P a r i s .
A n e i g h b o r , Danon Judevine, s a i d the couple were f r e q u e n t l y absent from t h e
neighborhood because o f t h e i r h e c t i c t r a v e l schedule.
Judevine s a i d he heard about t h e c r a s h on t h e n i g h t i t happened, b u t o n l y
l e a r n e d t h a t Kwan had been on t h e f l i g h t when a t e l e v i s i o n s t a t i o n i n t h e area
c a l l e d him.
" I t was q u i t e a shock," s a i d Judevine, who s a i d news o f t h e i r deaths spread
t h r o u g h t h e neighborhood q u i c k l y .
Kwan had a son, A l e c , who i s 7 years o l d , who n e i g h b o r s s a i d was s t a y i n g w i t h
f a m i l y . Susan H i l l P o r t l a n d , Ore.
Susan H i l l , 45, a p o l i c e d e t e c t i v e who was t h e f i r s t woman on t h e P o r t l a n d
Bureau o f P o l i c e h o s t a g e - n e g o t i a t i n g team, was p l a n n i n g a five-week v a c a t i o n
when she boarded F l i g h t 800 f o r P a r i s .
"She was r e a l l y up f o r t h e v a c a t i o n ," s a i d Mary Jane Gleeson, a p o l i c e
s e c r e t a r y who spoke t o H i l l d u r i n g her l a y o v e r a t Kennedy A i r p o r t s h o r t l y b e f o r e
the c r a s h , remembering how e x c i t e d her f r i e n d was about her t r i p .
H i l l , who was a p p o i n t e d t o t h e bureau i n 1974, i s c r e d i t e d w i t h b e i n g
i n v o l v e d w i t h t h e i n v e s t i g a t i o n o f more t h a n 70 homicides.
Gleeson s a i d H i l l asked her and a few o t h e r s t o go w i t h her t o P a r i s , b u t
ended up t r a v e l i n g a l o n e .
�Page 93
Newsday, July 20, 1996
Gleeson d e s c r i b e d H i l l as o u t g o i n g and a v e r y t a l e n t e d seamstress who enjoyed
p l a y i n g r a c q u e t b a l l . Dr. Ghassan and Nina Haurani Grosse P o i n t e Shores, Mich.
The news t h a t Dr. Ghassan Haurani, 51, and h i s w i f e , Nina, 54, were aboard
t h e TWA f l i g h t t o P a r i s , stunned t h e communities where t h e y l i v e d and worked.
Suzanne Schut, d i r e c t o r o f p u b l i c r e l a t i o n s f o r S t . Joseph Mercy H o s p i t a l s i n
Macomb County, Mich., s a i d Dr. Haurani " w i l l be s o r e l y missed by h i s p a t i e n t s .
He was amazing because he made everyone f e e l s p e c i a l . "
"He was so a c c u r a t e a t d o i n g t h i n g s t h a t you f e l t t h a t you were i n good
hands. He p r o b a b l y saved my l i f e , " s a i d Pat Ackerman, a 10-year p a t i e n t o f t h e
M i c h i g a n v a s c u l a r surgeon.
Schut s a i d t h e couple, who had f o u r c h i l d r e n between t h e ages o f 16 and 25,
were t r a v e l i n g t o P a r i s t o c e l e b r a t e t h e i r 2 5 t h wedding a n n i v e r s a r y .
"Nina was h i s o f f i c e manager. They were always t o g e t h e r , " Schut s a i d .
M e l o t i n F l u s h i n g , N.Y.
Grace
Grace M e l o t i n , 48, o f t h e Beechurst s e c t i o n o f F l u s h i n g , worked f o r TWA. She
l i v e d i n F l o r i d a w i t h h e r f a t h e r , who d i e d two months ago, and s t a y e d a t h e r
mother's house whenever she was i n New York, s a i d neighbor Marga P i e l l i , adding
t h a t she b e l i e v e s Grace was a s u p e r v i s o r f o r TWA.
"Her mother wanted t o s e l l t h e house and move t o F l o r i d a so she c o u l d be
c l o s e r t o h e r daughter," P i e l l i s a i d . "This i s t e r r i b l e ; she was an o n l y c h i l d . "
Jed Johnson New York, N.Y.
F r i e n d s r e c a l l e d d e s i g n e r and a r c h i t e c t Jed Johnson, 48, as s o f t s p o k e n ,
charming, w i t h a keen a r t i s t i c s e n s i b i l i t y .
Johnson, who headed an a r c h i t e c t u r a l f i r m i n Manhattan, Jed Johnson &
A s s o c i a t e s , designed a home f o r pop a r t i s t Andy Warhol, whom he counted as a
c l o s e f r i e n d , s a i d S t u a r t P i v a r , who had known Johnson f o r more t h a n two
decades.
" I t was a s t r o k e o f g e n i u s , " P i v a r s a i d o f Warhol's home. "Jed b u i l t p e r i o d
rooms o f such r e f i n e m e n t and p e r f e c t i o n . The l e v e l o f q u a l i t y i n t h a t house had
no e q u a l . "
"Jed i n f l u e n c e d Andy t o a p p r e c i a t e f i n e o l d t h i n g s . I t p r o b a b l y i n f l u e n c e d
Andy towards t h e c l a s s i c a l theme o f a r t . " Ludovic Chanson G a r a n c i e r e s , France
Ludovic Chaunce, an 1 2 - y e a r - o l d French exchange s t u d e n t , was headed home on
F l i g h t 800.
At t h e g a t e , a f l i g h t a t t e n d a n t had t o separate him from t h e embrace o f h i s
American f r i e n d , Luke Sargent, 14, o f Mendham, N.J. The two had been f r i e n d s i n
t h e p a s t two years o f i n t e r n a t i o n a l exchanges.
"We were g o i n g t o send m a i l back and f o r t h , " Capozza s a i d . "He shared any
s e c r e t w i t h me. We were l i k e b r o t h e r s . He was a r e a l good f r i e n d . " James H u l l
Costa Rica
�Page 94
Newsday, July 20, 1996
Former Long I s l a n d r e s i d e n t James H u l l , 45, was j u s t about f i n i s h e d b u i l d i n g
dream house i n Costa Rica b e f o r e b o a r d i n g F l i g h t 800.
The 18-year v e t e r a n TWA f l i g h t a t t e n d a n t planned t o move i n t o h i s new house
l a t e r t h i s month w i t h h i s w i f e , L i e s s y , and two daughters, M i c h e l l e , 6, and
Cindy, 8.
his
H u l l , o f f - d u t y on the f l i g h t t o P a r i s , was f l y i n g t o Europe t o work a r e t u r n
f l i g h t to Atlanta.
"He raved about h i s new house," s a i d h i s s t e p b r o t h e r , David Remmey. "He
couldn't wait t o f i n i s h i t . "
H u l l , b o r n and r a i s e d i n I v y l a n d , Pa., moved t o Costa Rica from Long I s l a n d
t h r e e years ago and spoke seven languages so he c o u l d communicate w i t h h i s
i n t e r n a t i o n a l customers.
"He was so good a t h i s j o b , " s a i d Margaret H u l l , h i s aunt. "He wanted t o make
everyone he met f e e l s p e c i a l . He was s p e c i a l . " W i l l i a m S t o r y Newport Beach,
Calif.
"Honey, I'm c a l l i n g t o t e l l you my c o n n e c t i o n d i d not work." Those were t h e
l a s t words insurance company p r e s i d e n t W i l l i a m S t o r y l e f t t o h i s w i f e , Judy, on
t h e i r telephone answering machine.
S t o r y , 4 1 , o f Newport Beach, C a l i f . , had booked a U n i t e d f l i g h t o u t o f
Washington w i t h t h r e e o t h e r e x e c u t i v e s : K i r k Rhein J r . , 42, o f D a r i e n , Conn.;
Charles Gray, 47, o f Memphis, and investment banker Gadi Notes o f New York. They
were headed f o r meetings i n P a r i s and London t o r a i s e c a p i t a l f o r a c o r p o r a t e
merger.
But t h e i r l i m o u s i n e d r i v e r got l o s t on the way t o a c o n n e c t i n g
H a r t f o r d , so the f o u r s w i t c h e d t o TWA F l i g h t 800.
flight i n
L a t e r t h a t evening, Judy S t o r y g o t a l o n g - d i s t a n c e telephone c a l l from
Rhein's w i f e , Martha, who had been out j o g g i n g and heard sketchy r a d i o r e p o r t s
of a c r a s h . "She and I were on the phone t o g e t h e r a l l n i g h t , " S t o r y s a i d .
W i l l i a m S t o r y and h i s w i f e o f f i v e years, b o t h p r e v i o u s l y widowed, were s t i l l
o v e r j o y e d t o have found each o t h e r , and the machine message was t y p i c a l o f those
he l e f t every day, Judy S t o r y s a i d .
"Do n o t w o r r y - I'm s t i l l coming back on the Concorde my r e g u l a r way on
Saturday t o see you," he t o l d her. " I l o v e you v e r y much and I l o v e t h e g i r l s , "
r e f e r r i n g t o h e r two daughters, whom he had adopted. "Please g i v e them my b e s t . "
J u d i t h C o n n e l l y D e l o u v r i e r Manhattan
J u d i t h C o n n e l l y D e l o u v r i e r was a p a t r o n o f the a r t s , devoted t o an a r r a y o f
v o l u n t e e r causes from East Harlem t o the Upper East Side o f Manhattan, where she
lived.
D e l o u v r i e r , 48, was headed back t o P a r i s Wednesday n i g h t t o j o i n h e r two
c h i l d r e n , who were s t a y i n g w i t h French r e l a t i v e s .
�Page 95
Newsday, July 20, 1996
"She was a v e r y f i n e and accomplished woman. A w o n d e r f u l daughter, s i s t e r ,
w i f e and mother," s a i d V i c t o r i a F l a v i l l e , v i c e p r e s i d e n t o f t h e C o n n e l l y
Foundation, a p r i v a t e f a m i l y f o u n d a t i o n t h a t g i v e s g r a n t s i n human s e r v i c e s , t h e
a r t s and e d u c a t i o n p r i m a r i l y i n t h e P h i l a d e l p h i a area.
F l a v i l l e s a i d D e l o u v r i e r "made a l l o f h e r achievements seem e f f o r t l e s s . She
was a w r i t e r and an a r t i s t and was p a r t i c u l a r l y i n t e r e s t e d i n f o s t e r i n g c u l t u r a l
programs f o r c h i l d r e n . "
I n New York, D e l o u v r i e r had worked a t Sotheby's, Revlon and M a r c e l l a
Borgehese c o s m e t i c s . She was an a d v i s e r f o r an exchange program f o r French and
American s t u d e n t s and had been a v o l u n t e e r a t t h e M e t r o p o l i t a n Museum o f A r t .
She had a l s o founded a program c a l l e d A r t Tours f o r C h i l d r e n , based i n New
Jersey.
She i s s u r v i v e d by h e r husband, P h i l l i p p e D e l o u v r i e r , h e r two c h i l d r e n , h e r
mother, two s i s t e r s and two b r o t h e r s . She was a l s o t h e f i r s t c o u s i n o f Maureen
Connelly, a p u b l i c r e l a t i o n s and p o l i t i c a l c o n s u l t a n t i n New York C i t y who was
the press s e c r e t a r y f o r former Mayor Edward Koch. E l a i n e L o f f r e d o G l a s t o n b u r y ,
Conn.
A f l i g h t a t t e n d a n t s i n c e 1968, E l a i n e L o f f r e d o , 49, was a c a r i n g and devoted
person who tended t h e garden i n f r o n t o f h e r house as w e l l as t h e needs o f
o t h e r s , n e i g h b o r s i n h e r Glastonbury, Conn., neighborhood s a i d .
"She l o v e d God, f a m i l y and h e r j o b , i n t h a t o r d e r , " s a i d h e r husband, Robert
L o f f r e d o . "She l o v e d f l o w e r s , b i r d s and people."
She had a generous s t r e a k , o p t i n g one year t o f o r e g o a v a c a t i o n t o use t h e
t i m e t o b r i n g m e d i c a l s u p p l i e s t o Mother Teresa i n C a l c u t t a , L o f f r e d o s a i d .
"She was a b s o l u t e l y t h e most c a r i n g woman i n t h e w o r l d , " he s a i d i n a
t e l e p h o n e i n t e r v i e w . "Anybody she ever touched came away w i t h a good f e e l i n g . "
Ray Lang N o r t h Massapequa
Ray
Lang always b i d f o r f l i g h t s overseas. P a r i s . C a i r o . Germany.
And w i t h 20 years as a TWA f l i g h t a t t e n d a n t , t h e 5 1 - y e a r - o l d
man o f t e n g o t h i s wish.
N o r t h Massapequa
He brought back sweets f o r h i s mother, M i l d r e d , g i f t s f o r h i s c l o s e - k n i t
f a m i l y and t a l e s o f adventures, i n c l u d i n g when he took over f o r a s i c k d r i v e r
and s t e e r e d a t o u r bus t h r o u g h t h e r u r a l o u t s k i r t s o f C a i r o .
"He was always t e l l i n g s t o r i e s , " s a i d Ray's o n l y b r o t h e r , Ted, 54. " I f t h e r e
were f i f t e e n people i n a room, he was t h e c e n t e r o f a t t e n t i o n . "
Friends and f a m i l y s a i d t h e o u t g o i n g Farmingdale High School g r a d u a t e
c a r e f u l l y tended t o h i s f l o w e r s and hungered f o r books on American h i s t o r y . Then
t h e r e was h i s a p p e t i t e f o r crossword p u z z l e s and "Jeopardy."
But Lang's p a s s i o n was t r a v e l i n g and f l y i n g . I t began decades ago a f t e r a
three-month backpacking t r i p t h r o u g h Europe. "His j o b was e v e r y t h i n g t o him,"
s a i d Wendy Lang, Ray Lang's niece and goddaughter, who i s a l s o a TWA f l i g h t
a t t e n d a n t . "He wouldn't have been doing a n y t h i n g e l s e . " Anna Maria S h o r t e r Los
�Page 96
Newsday, July 20, 1996
Angeles and D a l i l a L u c i e n
Anna Maria S h o r t e r , o f Los Angeles, was on h e r way t o Rome t o see h e r
husband, j a z z saxophonist Wayne S h o r t e r , who was on a European t o u r . She was
t r a v e l i n g w i t h h e r n i e c e , D a l i l a Lucien, who she was t a k i n g on t h e t r i p as a
g i f t f o r D a l i l a ' s h i g h school g r a d u a t i o n .
Anna Maria S h o r t e r l o v e d c h i l d r e n , s a i d h e r f r i e n d and neighbor V a l e r i e Bass,
who l a s t saw S h o r t e r on Saturday, when she came over t o swim i n Bass' p o o l w i t h
Bass' granddaughter. S h o r t e r had spent t h e l a s t few years e n t e r t a i n i n g and
d e c o r a t i n g t h e i r home.
"The whole home was Anna. She was a v e r y c l a s s y person, w i t h v e r y e l e g a n t
t a s t e , " Bass s a i d . "I'm g o i n g t o miss h e r so much."
Bass s a i d t h a t when she i n i t i a l l y heard t h a t S h o r t e r was on t h e f l i g h t , she
d i d n ' t b e l i e v e i t because S h o r t e r was n o t scheduled t o go t o P a r i s . I t t u r n e d
out t h a t h e r p l a n e had been changed a t t h e l a s t minute.
" I s a i d , I don't t h i n k so, she's supposed t o g o i n g t o Rome.' I j u s t c o u l d n ' t
b e l i e v e i t , " Bass s a i d .
S h o r t e r , who was i n h e r 40s, was b e a u t i f u l and y o u t h f u l , always f u l l
Bass s a i d .
of l i f e ,
"She had dark h a i r and dark eyes w i t h a t w i n k l e i n them," Bass s a i d . "When
you'd walk i n t o a room she'd s t a n d o u t . She was t h e c e n t e r o f a t t e n t i o n . She
j u s t had t h a t aura about her." D a n i e l Gabor Pleasanton, C a l i f .
D a n i e l Gabor, 27, who l i v e d i n Pleasanton, C a l i f . , and was a two-time
A l l - A m e r i c a n t r a c k s t a r , had packed l i g h t t o v i s i t h i s B r i t i s h g i r l f r i e n d ,
C l a i r e , whom he met when he r a n t r a c k a t t h e U n i v e r s i t y o f Arkansas a t
Fayetteville.
He had h i s p a s s p o r t around h i s neck, d u c t - t a p e d Nike sneakers on h i s f e e t ,
and c a r r i e d o n l y a backpack onto a f l i g h t from Tulsa t o New York, s a i d A r t i e
Huff, a f r i e n d .
"He s a i d , I've g o t a l l I need, I've g o t a r a i n c o a t . ' "
Gabor, who stopped r u n n i n g c o m p e t i t i v e l y i n 1993, was f i n i s h i n g h i s master's
degree i n geology, former coach John McDonnell s a i d .
His f a t h e r d i e d when Gabor was a c h i l d , b u t he remained c l o s e t o h i s mother,
Ann, and s i s t e r , Cathy, who o f t e n came from h i s hometown o f Pleasanton, C a l i f . ,
t o watch h i s meets, McDonnell s a i d .
F r i e n d s c h a r a c t e r i z e d him as a f r e e s p i r i t known f o r d a r e d e v i l s k a t e b o a r d i n g ,
f r e e - h a n d r o c k - c l i m b i n g and a fondness f o r t r a v e l .
"When he g o t on t h e p l a n e , " Huff s a i d , "we t o l d him how l u c k y he was t o be
g o i n g t o t h e c i t y o f l o v e and t h a t w e ' l l see you r e a l soon." Rico Puhlmann
Manhattan
�Page 97
Newsday, July 20, 1996
Rico Puhlmann, 62, who l i v e d i n Manhattan and a l s o had a home i n t h e
Hamptons, was an i n t e r n a t i o n a l l y known f a s h i o n photographer who shot more t h a n
125 covers f o r Harper's Bazaar. He was on h i s way t o P a r i s on assignment f o r
I t a l i a n p u b l i s h i n g company R i z z o l i P e r i o d i c ! .
Born i n B e r l i n i n 1934, Puhlmann was known as a c h i l d movie s t a r b e f o r e he
moved t o New York C i t y i n the e a r l y 1970s. He worked f o r a v a r i e t y o f f a s h i o n
magazines, i n c l u d i n g Harper's Bazaar, GQ, Glamour and German Vogue.
D u r i n g t h e 1970s and 1980s, Puhlmann was the t o p photographer f o r Harper's
Bazaar, Michele Mazzola, the magazine's former s p e c i a l p r o j e c t s e d i t o r , s a i d .
R i c h a r d S i n n o t t , a f a s h i o n e d i t o r f o r Harper's Bazaar, r e c a l l e d d o i n g a shoot
w i t h Puhlmann and G a b r i e l l e Reece i n 115-degree temperatures i n t h e d e s e r t s
o u t s i d e o f Las Vegas.
"We draped wet t o w e l s a l l over our heads," S i n n o t t s a i d . " I d i d more t h a n
f i f t y shots w i t h him, and I always looked f o r w a r d t o w o r k i n g w i t h him. "
"He d i d maybe h a l f t h e covers i n any g i v e n year," Mazzola s a i d . He was
knowledgeable about e v e r y t h i n g , from f l o w e r s t o f a s h i o n t o photography. He was
r e a l Renaissance man.
"He was p r o b a b l y one o f the t o p photographers
a
of t h e t i m e , " s a i d S i n n o t t .
Puhlmann i s s u r v i v e d by two b r o t h e r s , Klaus and Heinz Puhlmann, b o t h o f
B e r l i n . David Hogan P a r i s
David Hogan, 47, a V i r g i n i a - b o r n composer and graduate of t h e Peabody
I n s t i t u t e a t Johns Hopkins U n i v e r s i t y i n B a l t i m o r e , was heading t o h i s P a r i s
home.
Hogan earned b a c h e l o r ' s and master's degrees i n v o i c e from Peabody d u r i n g t h e
1970s, and i n 1972 h e l p e d found t h e Walden School, a summer s c h o o l f o r young
composers, i n D u b l i n , N.H.
"The t h i n g about him was t h a t he was a f a b u l o u s m u s i c i a n and e x t r e m e l y
t a l e n t e d composer," s a i d Lynn Hebden, Hogan's f r i e n d and former t e a c h e r a t Johns
Hopkins. "He was a l o v e l y person."
Hebden s a i d Hogan j u s t f i n i s h e d composing music f o r a French f i l m
t o be r e l e a s e d i n September.
Hogan has a 1 3 - y e a r - o l d daughter who
Brooklyn
lives i n California.
Donna G r i f f i t h , of B r o o k l y n , had worked hard t o b u i l d a new
scheduled
Donna G r i f f i t h
l i f e for herself.
G r i f f i t h had j u s t graduated from Audrey Cohen College i n Manhattan and
r e g i s t e r e d t o a t t e n d graduate school ? t
York nrv.ve-rRity i n t h e f a l l .
And a t 37, she had been ^s.g&rly c.ri--.^l\
f r i e n d s said yesterday.
t r i p t o Europe,
had
�Page 96
Newsday, July 20, 1996
Angeles and D a l i l a L u c i e n
Anna Maria S h o r t e r , o f Los Angeles, was on h e r way t o Rome t o see h e r
husband, j a z z saxophonist Wayne S h o r t e r , who was on a European t o u r . She was
t r a v e l i n g w i t h h e r n i e c e , D a l i l a Lucien, who she was t a k i n g on t h e t r i p as a
g i f t f o r D a l i l a ' s h i g h school g r a d u a t i o n .
Anna Maria S h o r t e r l o v e d c h i l d r e n , s a i d ' h e r f r i e n d and n e i g h b o r V a l e r i e Bass,
who l a s t saw S h o r t e r on Saturday, when she came over t o swim i n Bass' p o o l w i t h
Bass' granddaughter. S h o r t e r had spent t h e l a s t few years e n t e r t a i n i n g and
d e c o r a t i n g t h e i r home.
"The whole home was Anna. She was a v e r y c l a s s y person, w i t h v e r y e l e g a n t
t a s t e , " Bass s a i d . "I'm g o i n g t o miss h e r so much."
Bass s a i d t h a t when she i n i t i a l l y heard t h a t S h o r t e r was on t h e f l i g h t , she
d i d n ' t b e l i e v e i t because S h o r t e r was n o t scheduled t o go t o P a r i s . I t t u r n e d
out t h a t h e r p l a n e had been changed a t t h e l a s t minute.
" I s a i d , I don't t h i n k so, she's supposed t o g o i n g t o Rome.' I j u s t c o u l d n ' t
b e l i e v e i t , " Bass s a i d .
S h o r t e r , who was i n h e r 40s, was b e a u t i f u l and y o u t h f u l , always f u l l
Bass s a i d .
of l i f e ,
"She had dark h a i r and dark eyes w i t h a t w i n k l e i n them," Bass s a i d . "When
you'd walk i n t o a room she'd s t a n d o u t . She was t h e c e n t e r o f a t t e n t i o n . She
j u s t had t h a t aura about her." D a n i e l Gabor Pleasanton, C a l i f .
D a n i e l Gabor, 27, who l i v e d i n Pleasanton, C a l i f . , and was a two-time
A l l - A m e r i c a n t r a c k s t a r , had packed l i g h t t o v i s i t h i s B r i t i s h g i r l f r i e n d ,
C l a i r e , whom he met when he r a n t r a c k a t t h e U n i v e r s i t y o f Arkansas a t
Fayetteville.
He had h i s p a s s p o r t around h i s neck, d u c t - t a p e d Nike sneakers on h i s f e e t ,
and c a r r i e d o n l y a backpack onto a f l i g h t from Tulsa t o New York, s a i d A r t i e
Huff, a f r i e n d .
"He s a i d , I've g o t a l l I need, I've g o t a r a i n c o a t . ' "
Gabor, who stopped r u n n i n g c o m p e t i t i v e l y i n 1993, was f i n i s h i n g h i s master's
degree i n geology, former coach John McDonnell s a i d .
His f a t h e r d i e d when Gabor was a c h i l d , b u t he remained c l o s e t o h i s mother,
Ann, and s i s t e r , Cathy, who o f t e n came from h i s hometown o f Pleasanton, C a l i f . ,
t o watch h i s meets, McDonnell s a i d .
F r i e n d s c h a r a c t e r i z e d him as a f r e e s p i r i t known f o r d a r e d e v i l s k a t e b o a r d i n g ,
f r e e - h a n d r o c k - c l i m b i n g and a fondness f o r t r a v e l .
"When he g o t on t h e p l a n e , " H u f f s a i d , "we t o l d him how l u c k y he was t o be
g o i n g t o t h e c i t y o f l o v e and t h a t w e ' l l see you r e a l soon." Rico Puhlmann
Manhattan
�Page 97
Newsday, July 20,
1996
Rico Puhlmann, 62, who l i v e d i n Manhattan and a l s o had a home i n t h e
Hamptons, was an i n t e r n a t i o n a l l y known f a s h i o n photographer who shot more t h a n
125 covers f o r Harper's Bazaar. He was on h i s way t o P a r i s on assignment f o r
I t a l i a n p u b l i s h i n g company R i z z o l i P e r i o d i c ! .
Born i n B e r l i n i n 1934, Puhlmann was known as a c h i l d movie s t a r b e f o r e he
moved t o New York C i t y i n t h e e a r l y 1970s. He worked f o r a v a r i e t y o f f a s h i o n
magazines, i n c l u d i n g Harper's Bazaar, GQ, Glamour and German Vogue.
D u r i n g t h e 1970s and 1980s, Puhlmann was t h e t o p photographer f o r Harper's
Bazaar, M i c h e l e Mazzola, t h e magazine's former s p e c i a l p r o j e c t s e d i t o r , s a i d .
R i c h a r d S i n n o t t , a f a s h i o n e d i t o r f o r Harper's Bazaar, r e c a l l e d d o i n g a shoot
w i t h Puhlmann and G a b r i e l l e Reece i n 115-degree temperatures i n t h e d e s e r t s
o u t s i d e o f Las Vegas.
"We draped wet t o w e l s a l l over our heads," S i n n o t t s a i d . " I d i d more t h a n
f i f t y shots w i t h him, and I always looked f o r w a r d t o w o r k i n g w i t h him."
"He d i d maybe h a l f t h e covers i n any g i v e n year," Mazzola s a i d . He was
knowledgeable about e v e r y t h i n g , from f l o w e r s t o f a s h i o n t o photography. He was
r e a l Renaissance man.
"He was p r o b a b l y one of t h e t o p photographers
a
of t h e t i m e , " s a i d S i n n o t t .
Puhlmann i s s u r v i v e d by two b r o t h e r s , Klaus and Heinz Puhlmann, b o t h o f
B e r l i n . David Hogan P a r i s
David Hogan, 47, a V i r g i n i a - b o r n composer and graduate o f t h e Peabody
I n s t i t u t e a t Johns Hopkins U n i v e r s i t y i n B a l t i m o r e , was heading t o h i s P a r i s
home.
Hogan earned b a c h e l o r ' s and master's degrees i n v o i c e from Peabody d u r i n g t h e
1970s, and i n 1972 helped found the Walden School, a summer s c h o o l f o r young
composers, i n D u b l i n , N.H.
"The t h i n g about him was t h a t he was a f a b u l o u s m u s i c i a n and e x t r e m e l y
t a l e n t e d composer," s a i d Lynn Hebden, Hogan's f r i e n d and former t e a c h e r a t Johns
Hopkins. "He was a l o v e l y person."
Hebden s a i d Hogan j u s t f i n i s h e d composing music f o r a French f i l m
t o be r e l e a s e d i n September.
Hogan has a 1 3 - y e a r - o l d daughter who
Brooklyn
lives i n California.
Donna G r i f f i t h , of B r o o k l y n , had worked hard t o b u i l d a new
scheduled
Donna G r i f f i t h
l i f e for herself.
G r i f f i t h had j u s t graduated from Audrey Cohen College i n Manhattan and
r e g i s t e r e d t o a t t e n d graduate school a t New York U n i v e r s i t y i n t h e f a l l .
And a t 37, she had been e a g e r l y a n t i c i p a t i n g her f i r s t t r i p t o Europe,
f r i e n d s said yesterday.
had
�Page 98
Newsday, July 20, 1996
She was "a c l o s e f r i e n d and a sober person who had a w o n d e r f u l i n f l u e n c e on
o t h e r people," s a i d Cathy O'Connor, who s a i d she met G r i f f i t h i n an A l c o h o l i c s
Anonymous group. Courtney Johns C l a r k s t o n , Mich.
Courtney Johns, o f C l a r k s t o n , Mich., was a r e c e n t graduate o f M a r i a n High
School i n B l o o m f i e l d H i l l s , Mich. She planned t o a t t e n d v i l l a n o v a U n i v e r s i t y
i n the f a l l . Johns was a t e n n i s p l a y e r on the school team and an e x c e l l e n t
honors s t u d e n t , S i s t e r Lenore, t h e p r i n c i p a l o f t h e s c h o o l , s a i d . Vera Feeney
New Hyde Park
For Vera Feeney, her f a m i l y was her
life.
The 5 3 - y e a r - o l d p a r t - t i m e housecleaner and her 1 7 - y e a r - o l d daughter, D e i r d r e ,
b o t h o f New Hyde Park, had hoped t o board a Tuesday f l i g h t t o P a r i s b u t were
i n s t e a d bumped t o F l i g h t 800. France was a stopover and m i n i - v a c a t i o n f o r t h e
mother and daughter b e f o r e a r r i v a l t o t h e i r u l t i m a t e d e s t i n a t i o n : Roscommon,
I r e l a n d , where t h e y had planned t o v i s i t Vera's 8 0 - y e a r - o l d mother f o r a
two-to-three-week h o l i d a y .
The Feeneys had been making t h e annual t r i p t o I r e l a n d "since D e i r d r e was
s m a l l enough t o be c a r r i e d i n her mother's arms," Vera's husband, John, r e c a l l e d
y e s t e r d a y . T h i s t r i p t o I r e l a n d was p a r t i c u l a r l y i m p o r t a n t because Vera Feeney
wanted D e i r d r e t o t o spend time w i t h her 8 0 - y e a r - o l d mother, Margaret, and
f a t h e r , James. Feeney came t o t h i s c o u n t r y more t h a n 20 years ago from I r e l a n d .
The f a m i l y ' s l a s t few days b e f o r e t h e t r i p had been f i l l e d w i t h marathon
shopping sessions a t Roosevelt F i e l d M a l l f o r c l o t h i n g and s o u v e n i r s f o r
f a m i l y members i n I r e l a n d , John Feeney s a i d y e s t e r d a y . They had t r i e d t o g e t on
t h e Tuesday f l i g h t but were bumped t o TWA's f l i g h t 800.
When Vera Feeney wasn't d o t i n g on her husband, she was d o t i n g on her
daughter, "the apple o f her eye," John Feeney r e c a l l e d y e s t e r d a y , e x p l a i n i n g
t h a t she would spend her days b r i n g i n g D e i r d r e back and f o r t h t o soccer p r a c t i c e
and games. They c o u l d n ' t w a i t f o r t h e t r i p , d i s c u s s i n g a t t h e i r l a s t d i n n e r
t o g e t h e r how l o n g t h e f l i g h t would take and what s i g h t s t h e two were p l a n n i n g t o
see b e f o r e t a k i n g a c o n n e c t i n g f l i g h t t o D u b l i n and a two-hour t r a i n r i d e t o
Roscommon. "They were each o t h e r ' s best f r i e n d s , " John Feeney r e c a l l e d .
Deirdre
Feeney New Hyde Park
D e i r d r e Feeney, 17, o f New Hyde Park, was l o o k i n g f o r w a r d t o a a f u l l day o f
s i g h t s e e i n g i n P a r i s b e f o r e t r a v e l i n g on w i t h her mother, Vera, t o Roscommon,
I r e l a n d , where mother and daughter were g o i n g t o spend time w i t h f a m i l y members.
"She had been t a l k i n g about the t r i p f o r weeks. She c o u l d n ' t w a i t , " h e r
f a t h e r , John, s a i d y e s t e r d a y , e x p l a i n i n g t h a t h i s daughter was an a v i d soccer
p l a y e r who was t r y i n g t o convince her mother t h a t t h e y needed t o check out
French soccer stadiums d u r i n g t h e i r b r i e f P a r i s i a n l a y o v e r .
He d e s c r i b e d h i s daughter as q u i e t and t h o u g h t f u l , someone who was known f o r
d o i n g sweet t h i n g s f o r the f r i e n d s and f a m i l y i n her l i f e . " I t was t h e l i t t l e
d e t a i l s t h a t she p a i d a t t e n t i o n t o , " Feeney s a i d . "She promised t o b r i n g back my
f a v o r i t e foods, I r i s h sausages and Cadbury c h o c o l a t e s . She was j u s t a good
girl."
�Page 99
Newsday, July 20, 1996
D e i r d r e , o r De De as her f r i e n d s c a l l e d her, had j u s t graduated from
K e l l e n b e r g , a C a t h o l i c High School i n Uniondale, where she had been on t h e honor
r o l l f o r f o u r years and p l a y e d f o r the v a r s i t y soccer team. She had r e c e i v e d a
f o u r - y e a r s c h o l a r s h i p t o the College of Mount St. V i n c e n t i n t h e Bronx, where
she was g o i n g t o b e g i n s t u d y i n g n u r s i n g , her f a t h e r s a i d . The t r i p t o P a r i s was
a g r a d u a t i o n p r e s e n t from her p a r e n t s , he s a i d . James Hurd I I I Glen B u r n i e , Md.
James (Jamie) Hurd I I I , 29, c o u l d n ' t w a i t t o rendezvous w i t h h i s g i r l f r i e n d
i n Paris.
Taking a b r i e f v a c a t i o n from h i s j o b as manager o f h i s f a m i l y ' s auto r e p a i r
shop i n Glen B u r n i e , Md., Hurd boarded F l i g h t 800 i n hopes of meeting up w i t h
her and her p a r e n t s t o s i g h t s e e and c e l e b r a t e her f i n i s h i n g s t u d i e s t h e r e .
"He was a good c a t c h - h i s g i r l f r i e n d was l u c k y , " s a i d Annie Benham, a
neighbor who had known Hurd s i n c e he was a c h i l d . "He o f f e r e d so much t o so many
people - such a genuine and g e n t l e person."
Hurd graduated from Towson U n i v e r s i t y w i t h a degree i n business
a d m i n i s t r a t i o n and took care o f a l l the f i n a n c e s o f t h e f a m i l y b u s i n e s s . Outside
t h e o f f i c e , he coached c h i l d r e n i n b a s k e t b a l l , b a s e b a l l and f o o t b a l l .
Rosemary
Braman-Mosberg Hoboken, N.J.
TWA f l i g h t a t t e n d a n t Rosemary Braman-Mosberg was a l a s t - m i n u t e a d d i t i o n t o
t h e f l i g h t , her b r o t h e r , Charles Braman J r . , s a i d from h i s home i n t h e C l e v e l a n d
suburb o f Shaker H e i g h t s .
Braman-Mosberg, 47, was a r e s i d e n t of Hoboken, N.J.,
husband o f two y e a r s , Stewart Mosberg.
"She wasn't scheduled," her b r o t h e r s a i d . "She
l a s t minute . . . She l o v e d b e i n g a stewardess."
where she l i v e d w i t h her
p i c k e d up t h e s h i f t a t t h e
Her b r o t h e r s a i d she had been a TWA employee f o r more than 20 y e a r s . He s a i d
h i s 2 - y e a r - o l d son had been "crazy about her." Margot K r i k h a n B r o o k f i e l d , Conn.
Margot K r i k h a n o f B r o o k f i e l d , Conn., was a n a t i v e of Germany b u t had been i n
t h e U n i t e d S t a t e s a t l e a s t s i n c e t h e 1970s, where she worked a t t h e German
Consulate i n New York C i t y , a c c o r d i n g t o t h e S p r i n g e r F o r e i g n News S e r v i c e ,
which s u p p l i e s news t o German p u b l i c a t i o n s .
A c c o r d i n g t o C h r i s t i n e M a t t h a i o f t h e news s e r v i c e ' s Manhattan o f f i c e ,
K r i k h a n was 51 years o l d and once worked i n the p a s s p o r t o f f i c e of t h e German
Consulate. Quoting i n f o r m a t i o n from t h e news s e r v i c e ' s sources, M a t t h a i s a i d
K r i k h a n was headed t o P a r i s w i t h a f r i e n d and from t h e r e planned t o go t o
Germany. S c o t t and M a r i t Rhoads B e l l e v u e , Wash.
Her u s u a l r o u t e took M a r i t Rhoads i n t o one o f t h e most s e c u r i t y - c o n s c i o u s
a i r p o r t s i n t h e w o r l d - I s r a e l ' s Ben Gurion A i r p o r t i n T e l A v i v .
But w i t h her s c h o o l t e a c h e r husband, S c o t t , f r e e d from h i s t e a c h i n g d u t i e s by
a summer v a c a t i o n , Rhoads, 48, a TWA f l i g h t a t t e n d a n t from B e l l e v u e , Wash.,
decided t o f l y w i t h him t o P a r i s , where t h e y had v a c a t i o n e d b e f o r e .
S c o t t Rhoads had time o f f from t e a c h i n g h i g h school f o o t b a l l and
wrestling,
�Page 100
Newsday, July 20, 1996
s a i d a neighbor, Norma Custard, and so M a r i t Rhoads swapped h e r normal T e l A v i v
f l i g h t schedule w i t h one t o P a r i s , where t h e y had been b e f o r e .
The t r i p was a t r e a t t h e y gave themselves a f t e r working h a r d t o r e n o v a t e
t h e i r garden, Custard s a i d . Mike Schuldt S a f e t y Harbor, F l a .
Mike S c h u l d t , 5 1 , o f S a f e t y Harbor, F l a . , was w o r k i n g h i s f a v o r i t e New
Y o r k - t o - P a r i s r o u t e as a TWA f l i g h t a t t e n d a n t , s a i d h i s w i f e , Judy.
"He l o v e d P a r i s and f l e w t h a t r o u t e as o f t e n as he c o u l d , " she s a i d . "He
l o v e d t o t r a v e l and was one o f t h e f i r s t male f l i g h t a t t e n d a n t s . "
S c h u l d t , who spent h i s f r e e time as a l e a t h e r a r t i s t , had planned t o r e t u r n
t o P a r i s n e x t week w i t h h i s w i f e . Eugene, E t t a , Candace and Jamie S i l v e r m a n Los
Angeles
Eugene Silverman, 54, a prominent Los Angeles t a x a t t o r n e y , was on h i s way t o
a s h o r t t o u r o f I t a l y w i t h h i s w i f e , E t t a , 53, and t h e i r two daughters, Candace,
22, and Jamie, 15, b e f o r e g o i n g on t o t h e b a t m i t z v a h o f a c l o s e f r i e n d ' s
daughter i n Jerusalem. They were s w i t c h e d t o F l i g h t 800 when a f l i g h t t o Rome
was canceled.
"The e n o r m i t y o f t h a t e n t i r e f a m i l y p e r i s h i n g i s something none o f h i s
f r i e n d s a r e a b l e t o absorb," J e r r y Rabow, a law p a r t n e r , s a i d . "The Talmudic
view i s t h a t t o d e s t r o y one l i f e i s t o d e s t r o y an i n f i n i t e p r o g r e s s i o n o f
descendants t h a t come from t h a t person - t o see i t happen t h i s way i s j u s t
h o r r i f i c . " M i c h e l B r e i s t r o f f Roubaix, France
When M i c h e l B r e i s t r o f f , a n a t i v e o f Roubaix, France, p l a y e d on t h e Harvard
U n i v e r s i t y hockey team, he l i k e d t o j o k e about t h e G a l l i c f e a t u r e s t h a t made him
appear o l d e r , a c c o r d i n g t o a u n i v e r s i t y statement.
"The day I f i r s t met t h i s year's freshman hockey p l a y e r s , t h e y t h o u g h t I was
one o f t h e coaches," he i s quoted as s a y i n g i n a 1994 u n i v e r s i t y press r e l e a s e .
"He was v e r y proud o f b e i n g a t Harvard and v e r y proud o f p l a y i n g hockey a t
Harvard," u n i v e r s i t y hockey coach Ronn Tomassoni s a i d . " . . . We who were
f o r t u n a t e t o be p a r t o f h i s l i f e a t Harvard w i l l miss him g r e a t l y . Our p r a y e r s
and t h o u g h t s a r e w i t h M i c h e l and h i s f a m i l y . "
Michael Jackman, a spokesman w i t h Harvard's a t h l e t i c department, s a i d
B r e i s t r o f f , 25, w i l l be remembered f o r h i s "charm and m a t u r i t y , h i s i n t e l l i g e n c e
and h i s w i t t y sense o f humor. Ruben W i n d m i l l e r New R o c h e l l e , N.Y.
Ruben W i n d m i l l e r , 66, l i v e d i n New R o c h e l l e . He was t h e f a t h e r o f two grown
sons, i n c l u d i n g David W i n d m i l l e r o f M e l v i l l e , and had two g r a n d c h i l d r e n . He was
t r a v e l i n g t o France on a t r i p t h a t combined business and p l e a s u r e .
W i n d m i l l e r was t r a v e l i n g w i t h h i s g i r l f r i e n d , whose name was u n a v a i l a b l e , t o
P a r i s f o r a week's v a c a t i o n .
Neighbors s a i d he was a s u c c e s s f u l businessman and f r e q u e n t t r a v e l e r who had
r e c e n t l y been on a c r u i s e t o Alaska. He was an a v i d b o a t e r , owner o f a 4 8 - f o o t
D a n i s h - b u i l t N a u t i c a t s a i l b o a t t h a t he had s a i l e d t o Cape Cod, A t l a n t i c C i t y and
Bermuda.
�Page 101
Newsday, July 20, 1996
"He wasn't scared o f a n y t h i n g , " neighbor Joan Lorusso s a i d . "He g o t s t u c k i n
t h e middle o f t h e ocean on h i s way t o Bermuda, and i t d i d n ' t phase him a t a l l . "
Melinda Torche I r v i n e , C a l i f .
F l i g h t a t t e n d a n t Melinda Torche's f a m i l y thought she c o u l d n ' t have been on
F l i g h t 800 because she had c a l l e d h e r a u t i s t i c son i n M i s s i o n V i e j o , C a l i f . ,
from S t . L o u i s Wednesday.
The n e x t day, a c c o r d i n g t o t h e Orange County R e g i s t e r , t h e y l e a r n e d she had
been c a l l i n g w h i l e she was working aboard t h e New Y o r k - t o - P a r i s f l i g h t t h a t
crashed.
Torche, o f I r v i n e , C a l i f . , was d i v o r c e d f o r 15 years from Ralph M i n n i s . But
t h e y remained i n c l o s e t o u c h because o f t h e i r handicapped son, and he f l e w o u t
t o h e r home a f t e r l e a r n i n g o f t h e crash.
Neighbors and co-workers d e s c r i b e d h e r as an upbeat, c o n s c i e n t i o u s and k i n d
woman who'd leave a f o o d d i s h o u t on h e r f r o n t porch f o r s t r a y c a t s .
" I remember h e r s m i l e , " one c o l l e a g u e s a i d . " I t j u s t k i n d o f beamed o u t a t
you." Larkyn Dwyer New R i v e r , A r i z .
I t was w i t h some h e s i t a t i o n t h a t Ron and Ann Dwyer l e t t h e i r
Larkyn, 1 1 , f l y t o P a r i s t o v i s i t a pen-pal.
daughter,
"They v e r y r e l u c t a n t l y l e t h e r go, i t was so f a r away from home," s a i d Ray
Downey, Ron L a r k i n ' s business p a r t n e r i n Phoenix. "They're g o i n g t h r o u g h t h i s
stage o f g u i l t f o r l e t t i n g h e r go."
The f a m i l y , i n c l u d i n g h e r 1 5 - y e a r - o l d b r o t h e r , Kyle, had r e c e n t l y moved t o
New R i v e r , A r i z . , and r e t u r n e d t o New York f o r an u p s t a t e v a c a t i o n l a s t week.
Downey s a i d Larkyn, a w i l l o w y p r e - t e e n w i t h s h o u l d e r - l e n g t h b l o n d h a i r , was a
f i x t u r e i n h e r f a t h e r ' s o f f i c e , where she t a l k e d o f t e n o f h e r l o v e o f horses.
"She was a t y p i c a l teenager, t a l l , s k i n n y , " Downey s a i d . "She was an in-between'
. . . n o t y e t a young l a d y and n o t s t i l l a c h i l d . " Yon Rojany S t u d i o C i t y ,
Calif.
Yon Rojany was an a s p i r i n g p r o b a s k e t b a l l p l a y e r on h i s way t o Rome f o r a
t r y o u t w i t h an I t a l i a n team and o r i g i n a l l y was scheduled t o be on a n o t h e r
f l i g h t , h i s mother s a i d .
Rojany, 19, o f S t u d i o C i t y , C a l i f . , was supposed t o be on F l i g h t 840 t o Rome,
b u t was s w i t c h e d when i t was canceled.
" I t was s t r a n g e because, when I saw t h e b r e a k - i n on t h e program w i t h t h e
news, t h e y s a i d i t was a f l i g h t bound f o r P a r i s , " s a i d h i s mother, L i s a
Michaelson. " I don't know i f i t was a mother's i n s t i n c t o r what, b u t I knew he
was on t h a t p l a n e . "
Yojany worked i n a r e s t a u r a n t i n Brentwood, C a l i f . , where he met L a r r y Brown,
t h e coach o f t h e NBA's Cleveland C a v a l i e r s , who arranged a t r y o u t w i t h t h e
I t a l i a n team. Steven Snyder S t r a t f o r d , Conn.
�Page 102
Newsday, July 20, 1996
Even w i t h 30 y e a r s ' experience and more than 17,000 f l i g h t hours on jumbo
j e t s , TWA c a p t a i n Steven Snyder, 57, o f S t r a t f o r d , Conn., s t i l l g o t a k i c k o u t
of f l y i n g h i s s i n g l e - e n g i n e Cessna. F r i e n d s and n e i g h b o r s d e s c r i b e Snyder, who
was d i v o r c e d and l i v e d alone a t Oronoque V i l l a g e , as a q u i e t , handsome
"gentleman" who l i k e d t o g o l f and had worked h a r d t o r e f u r b i s h h i s Cessna, a
j o b he had completed n e a r l y a year and a h a l f ago. R i c h a r d Campbell R i d g e f i e l d ,
Conn.
R i c h a r d Campbell, o f R i d g e f i e l d , Conn., was a f l i g h t engineer on TWA F l i g h t
800, and leaves b e h i n d a w i f e , M a r j o r i e , who i s a s c h o o l t e a c h e r , and two sons,
S c o t t and Todd, o f R i d g e f i e l d , and a s i s t e r , Ann Fleming o f Tucson, A r i z . .
A former A i r Force p i l o t , Campbell was h i r e d by TWA i n 1966 a t TWA and had
logged 18,527 f l i g h t hours. He had a t t e n d e d Ohio S t a t e U n i v e r s i t y .
Lamar and
Ashton A l l e n M a r i e t t a , Ga.
Lamar A l l e n , 4 1 , and h i s 1 6 - y e a r - o l d son, Ashton A l l e n , b o t h o f M a r i e t t a ,
Ga., were on t h e i r way t o j o i n r e l a t i v e s i n P a r i s . The f a m i l y was f l y i n g standby
aboard TWA A i r l i n e s .
A l l e n ' s w i f e , Ann, a l o n g w i t h 1 3 - y e a r - o l d son, Cameron, and 1 4 - y e a r - o l d
daughter, Amberly, had a r r i v e d i n P a r i s hours p r i o r t o TWA F l i g h t 800. The
f a m i l y t r i p was a v a c a t i o n t o escape t h e Olympics, which began y e s t e r d a y . A l l e n
ran a business c a l l e d L i n c o l n Investments o u t o f h i s home on Paper M i l l Road i n
a suburban East Cobb County.
GRAPHIC: PhotosDelouvrier.
1) Jed Johnson. 2) W i l l i a m S t o r y . 3) J u d i t h
LANGUAGE: Eng1i sh
LOAD-DATE: J u l y 20, 1996
Connelly
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Michael Waldman
Description
An account of the resource
<p>Michael Waldman was Assistant to the President and Director of Speechwriting from 1995-1999. His responsibilities were writing and editing nearly 2,000 speeches, which included four State of the Union speeches and two Inaugural Addresses. From 1993 -1995 he served as Special Assistant to the President for Policy Coordination.</p>
<p>The collection generally consists of copies of speeches and speech drafts, talking points, memoranda, background material, correspondence, reports, handwritten notes, articles, clippings, and presidential schedules. A large volume of this collection was for the State of the Union speeches. Many of the speech drafts are heavily annotated with additions or deletions. There are a lot of articles and clippings in this collection.</p>
<p>Due to the size of this collection it has been divided into two segments. Use links below for access to the individual segments:<br /><a href="http://clinton.presidentiallibraries.us/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=43&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=2006-0469-F+Segment+1">Segment One</a><br /><a href="http://clinton.presidentiallibraries.us/items/browse?advanced%5B0%5D%5Belement_id%5D=43&advanced%5B0%5D%5Btype%5D=is+exactly&advanced%5B0%5D%5Bterms%5D=2006-0469-F+Segment+2">Segment Two</a></p>
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Michael Waldman
Office of Speechwriting
Date
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1993-1999
Identifier
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2006-0469-F
Extent
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Segment One contains 1071 folders in 72 boxes.
Segment Two contains 868 folders in 66 boxes.
Provenance
A statement of any changes in ownership and custody of the resource since its creation that are significant for its authenticity, integrity, and interpretation. The statement may include a description of any changes successive custodians made to the resource.
Clinton Presidential Records: White House Staff and Office Files
Publisher
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William J. Clinton Presidential Library & Museum
Format
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Adobe Acrobat Document
Text
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text.
Original Format
The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data
paper
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
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TWA - Stories (Passenger) - Survivors/Families [1]
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Office of Speechwriting
Michael Waldman
Is Part Of
A related resource in which the described resource is physically or logically included.
Box 29
<a href="http://clinton.presidentiallibraries.us/items/show/36404"> Collection Finding Aid</a>
<a href="https://catalog.archives.gov/id/7763296">National Archives Catalog Description</a>
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
2006-0469-F Segment 2
Provenance
A statement of any changes in ownership and custody of the resource since its creation that are significant for its authenticity, integrity, and interpretation. The statement may include a description of any changes successive custodians made to the resource.
White House Staff and Office Files
Publisher
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William J. Clinton Presidential Library & Museum
Format
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Adobe Acrobat Document
Medium
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Preservation-Reproduction-Reference
Date Created
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6/3/2015
Source
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7763296
42-t-7763296-20060469F-Seg2-029-005-2015